Liberty
by Odin's Prayer
Summary: Eric and Sookie have bound themselves more tightly than ever. With Eric now King and Niall making himself a fixed part of Sookie's life, she's about to find out that her new liberty has its own set of ups and downs. Sequel to Bound.
1. Chapter 1

A/N To the readers of my previous story, you all remember that I said I had a chapter written for the sequel already. Anyway, I took a lot of time to read over the reviews you guys sent in for the last chapter, and used them to revise this one.

That said, let's talk storyline for a minute. Personally, I'm a writer who likes plot and character-driven stories. Not to say that I don't like gratuitous smut, but as a writer, I'd like to deliver a good story with good characters first, then add in the citrus.

Story-wise, this one will focus more on their relationship and the issues they have to work through. The first story barely scratched the surface of who Eric and Sookie are individually, and as a couple. This one is my foray into more character-driven territory.

Of course, the plot also thickens. Where we left off, Eric has just become king of Louisiana and Mississippi. This presents a lot of material to work with, as well as a larger scope of problems they will have to deal with. Anyway that's pretty much it, so on to the story and don't forget to let me know what you guys think through a review!

Chapter 1

The day after the battle, Sookie woke at two in the afternoon with an aching back and tired shoulders. Eric had been extremely passionate during their bout of lovemaking, and Sookie was feeling the effects of his attentions.

Giving her Viking a kiss on the cheek, the telepath ambled out of bed, took care of her human needs and chose to wear a pale pink sundress for the day. She was immediately greeted by her two fairy guards as she headed out of her bedroom.

'Good afternoon, Lady Sookie,' the two said in unison, their melodic voices blending together.

'Good afternoon, you two. Where's Grandpa?' Sookie asked.

'Downstairs, my lady. The Prince insisted that he would see to your food,' Alvar answered.

'Okay. Calixto, would you mind guarding Eric? Alvar, you can go with me downstairs,' the telepath said. Calixto nodded his assent, and Sookie headed down with her black-haired guard trailing behind her.

Once she walked through the archway into her dining room, Niall immediately stood and put down his glass of juice. The Prince was dressed in an elegant, dark robe.

'Hello, my dear child. Did you rest well?' he inquired.

'Well, yeah I did,' she said, giving him a smile.

_I actually didn't rest until dawn because Eric went crazy in bed last night, but you don't need to know that, _her mind whispered internally.

'Good, good. Sit down, little one. I have conjured some pie, as well as some chicken. There is also apple juice, but if you prefer a different type, it can always be done,' the Prince said.

Sookie shook her head and sat down as she was told, Alvar standing behind her as always. Putting a slice of pie and a cut of chicken onto her plate, she began to eat in silence as Niall wordlessly sipped his juice. Eventually, the Prince decided to bring up their small fight from the previous evening.

'I am sorry for what I said to you, my child. I was angry, and it was hurtful to press my authority like I did. I ask your forgiveness,' he said contritely, looking at his great granddaughter.

'I won't lie to you. What you said was out of line, and it wasn't necessary. But, I do understand. You and Eric were both angry with each other, and needed to let it out. I forgive you, Grandpa,' she said, nodding gently. As soon as she had said so, Niall stood and gave her a grateful kiss on the forehead.

'Thank you for being understanding. I don't deserve it, but I am grateful nonetheless,' the Prince said with a small smile as he sat down again.

The previous silence was now replaced with their companionable banter. Topics such as the laws of the Fae, other types of power and the like were all brought up. Niall was happy that Sookie had taken an interest in Fae affairs, while Sookie was happy to learn things about her heritage.

Before long, Sookie stood and was about to walk to the sink, when she was stopped by the voice of her handsome Nordic vampire.

He was completely shirtless, only sporting dark jeans. The sight made Niall avert his eyes.

'You will not do the dishes, my love. That is a task beneath you!' he said sternly, walking towards her with a disdainful glance at the plates.

_Oh right, he wakes up way earlier now. Shit, here comes the 'you are above that' lecture! And why in the world is he shirtless? Crap, I forgot that he doesn't have too many clothes here._

'Eric please, don't bring that up,' she pleaded, her mind steeling itself for his answer.

'Nonsense. You are the bonded to the vampire king of two states, and therefore the queen. You will absolutely _not_ do the dishes,' he enthused, holding her face in between his hands.

'Lady Sookie, I can do that for you,' Calixto said, quickly using his powers to send all the plates and utensils to the sink before Sookie could interject.

In no time at all, they were pristine and situated in their respective racks, making Sookie shake her head and sigh in defeat. The Prince gave Calixto a subtle nod of approval, before he turned to address Sookie in a serious tone.

'The Viking is right, my dear. Your station is high, and you must begin to accept all that it entails. _No_ queen, and _no_ princess of the Fae will wash dishes. _That_ is your station, and you must accept it!' Niall said.

'Fine, fine. You win. No more washing dishes for old Sookie Stackhouse,' she said dejectedly.

'And while we are on the subject of you being a queen and a princess of the Fae, I will call the shifter and inform him that you are quitting,' Eric added.

'What? You don't have any right to do that!'

'Lover, please be reasonable. You are the Queen of Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as Fae Royalty. Being a waitress is far behind you now,' the Viking explained.

'I concur. I will not have my great granddaughter working as a waitress in some bar filled with stinking, idiotic rednecks,' Niall said.

'Why are you both ganging up on me like this? I can't just leave Sam all of a sudden!'

'My dear granddaughter, think _practically_. I am sure you will spend almost no time here in Bon Temps. Most of your duties will be in Shreveport, New Orleans or somewhere in Mississippi. Even if we were to let you keep your job,' the Prince said, before he was cut off by Eric.

_Fucking shifter. I am done seeing my bonded in his filthy establishment. She will be with me, cared for and lavished like the Queen she is. He doesn't deserve her presence at his bar anyway. _

'Which we are definitely _not _going to do, you wouldn't have any time left to work as a waitress in that stupid shifter's bar. So, I will call him and before this day ends you will no longer be on his payroll,' Eric said with finality.

'Alright, alright. I concede, but I want to tell him in person. Don't you dare argue with me,' Sookie said, putting her hands on her hips.

'That is acceptable. We will go as soon as the sun sets. There is still a good hour and a half of sunlight left, and while I can walk freely as we have already found out, the general impression is that vampires burn in the sun. Let us keep it that way,' the Viking said, before giving his bonded a lingering kiss which sent a shiver up her spine.

'That was some kiss,' she said as she pulled away.

'Of course it was. I'm Eric Northman, am I not?' he answered playfully.

'For decency's sake, put on a shirt, Viking,' Niall said suddenly, breaking into the couple's banter and shaking his head at Eric's state of undress.

'Don't tell me what to do, Prince. You are addressing a monarch in _his_ territory, so I suggest you keep your mouth firmly shut,' Eric bit back in reply. As if to prove his point, the Viking walked all the way to the living room couch and sat down beside Sookie with a smug look.

Once they were all seated, Sookie immediately launched into a conversation.

'So what do we do now? I mean, with you being the king and all, I'm sure a lot of new challenges are about to come. Things are gonna change, right?'

'I am afraid they will, my love. I will have many things to straighten out in the two territories, and we will both be undertaking many new duties as King and Queen. There is also the matter of the formal Coronation to be officiated by the Ancient Pythoness,' Eric answered.

'You should both pledge,' Niall interjected.

'Excuse me, we should what?' Sookie asked.

'Explain it to her, Norseman,' the Prince said, making his customary _go on _gesture.

'A pledge is the most _sacred_ ceremony to our kind, lover. It signals a commitment even more profound than a bond. There is no equivalent to it, not even the human concept of marriage. I suppose that technically it _is_ a marriage, but it is infinitely more than that. A pledge is unbreakable, and even by concept alone is very inviolable. It is a different sort of connection, but it carries the same weight as the right of makers to their children,' the Viking said.

'Wow. So it really is way deeper than a bond,' Sookie said, in awe of Eric's explanation.

'That is true. Bonds can be overcome, either by superiority or other measures. A King for example, can impose his authority upon a bonded pair, by virtue of his position. An older vampire can also choose to disregard bonds made by younger vampires, since the elder can always kill the younger vampire, and make the remaining part of the bonded pair submit. On the other hand, a pledge is _above_ being overcome, truly a commitment to forever. The right of a pledged vampire to his mate is above any king or other authority. The same way, your right to me would be indisputable as well,' Eric said, stroking her hand, which was resting on his knee.

'This is why I suggest you pledge to each other. Of course, no one in their right mind would take you away from the Viking, but there are always insane ones to worry about,' Niall added, looking gravely at his great granddaughter.

Sookie took a moment to ponder everything that had been said to her, before her face took on a sad look and she spoke in a tone filled with fear.

'But what if one day you tire of me, Eric?' she said simply.

'If that happens, I will kill you, Viking,' Niall threatened.

'Grandpa, lay off on the threats before Eric bites you again. Let him answer, would you please?' Sookie said, shaking her head disapprovingly. She fixed her gaze on her vampire, filling the bond with tinges of anxiety and fear of rejection.

'I would never tire of you, my dearest. I have waited one thousand years for one such as you to come along. I will never tire of you, I will never stop loving you, and I will never ever let you go,' Eric answered, pulling Sookie into a warm embrace and flooding the bond with love.

_Thank you God, for the gift of Eric Northman, _Sookie mused as she pressed herself against him.

'I love you Eric,' Sookie whispered, her cheek pressed to Eric's chest, their arms wrapped around each other on the couch.

'I love you too,' he said in a whisper, before he disengaged and gave her a loving kiss.

'We still have about 45 minutes before sundown, my dear. Would you like to practice your teleportation, or maybe some conjuring?' Niall interjected, looking at Sookie.

'Actually I'd prefer to take a shower, Grandpa. Is that okay?'

'Of course it is, darling Sookie. Go on, I will try to rest a bit as well. I was checking up on affairs in the Fae Realm earlier today. I came back right in time for you to wake, and now I am slightly worn out. Old age and all,' the Prince said jokingly.

'Old age indeed,' Eric said, before he looked at Sookie with lust in his eyes.

'Shall we shower, my lover?' he said huskily, making Sookie's heart race.

The telepath dispensed with a reply and instead chose to nod, before she walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. The Viking walked after her in pursuit, and closed the door behind them. He flashed into the shower and ripped off both their clothing at the same vampiric speed.

'Eric, we don't have time for this! We'll just shower, and that's it, you hear me?' she said, looking sternly at him as she turned on the water and stood under its spray. In reply, Eric hurriedly pushed her against the cold tile wall and leaned into her ear to whisper.

'We will be quick, my lover,' he promised, pressing his hard length against her already wet center. The fact made him smile, even as he tried to keep from burying himself to the hilt.

'Eric! We don't have time!' she said, frantically trying not to think about the wonderful sensation of his body pressed against hers, the water flowing over both of them.

'You know you want this, Sookie. Look how wet you already are for me. Practically dripping,' Eric purred against her ear, before his lips traveled down to her neck and shoulders.

The amorous vampire lifted his fairy bonded upwards, wrapping her legs around his waist before he began to suckle on one of her breasts with needy abandon.

'Eric…' she whispered, having given up the struggle to resist. Her hands were now gripping his hair, arching her back to present more of himself to him. The Viking pulled away from her breast and now paid homage to the other one, making Sookie moan as she surrendered herself to him.

'I need you now, Sookie. Are you ready for me, my lover?' he said against her skin, before he looked up into her eyes, his own glazed over with lust. Sookie nodded wordlessly, already aching for the feeling of fullness only he could give her.

Satisfied with her response, Eric began to lower her onto his shaft, groaning in pleasure as she took him into her inch by inch. It was a glorious feeling.

He stopped for a moment, purely to appreciate the sensation of being inside his lover. Not a second later, Sookie let out a strangled command.

'Move,' was all she said, but it spurred him to action. He began to move slowly at first, speeding up in response to her moans. Sookie held on for dear life as Eric began to pound mercilessly into her, growling often as he did so.

'Oh God, Eric…' she bit out, holding onto his shoulders as he continued to thrust powerfully, hitting that spot inside of her which made her cry out.

'Fuck! Lover…' he said hoarsely, before he captured her lips in a searing kiss. He was pulling out nearly all the way and slamming back into her tight heat with each stroke, panting out unnecessary breaths while the water continued to cascade around them.

With each thrust, Eric grew more uncontrolled and more erratic. To him, the pleasure was nearly unbelievable in its magnitude. To Sookie, the pleasure was simply indescribable as her Viking lost himself in his passion and need. He was growling, adding to the chorus of her moans as they claimed each other under the spray of the warm water.

Eventually, Sookie could feel her release nearing while Eric continued to slam into her relentlessly. Feeling her impending climax, Eric sped up even more, pacing himself and wanting to join her as she fell over the edge.

'I'm so close Eric,' she panted out, her hands tangled in his hair as their bodies continued the pursuit of pleasure.

'That's it, my love. Come with me,' he commanded, adding even more force to his thrusts, spurred on by the slight pain of her hands in his hair and the gloriously lusty symphony of her incessant moans.

A few more thrusts and Sookie climaxed, screaming loudly as she held on to her vampire. The delicious clenching of her walls brought on Eric's own release, making him throw his head back and roar as his seed shot out of him so violently that he nearly buckled under the pleasure. Both of them held on to each other as they rode out the aftershocks, either panting or sucking in huge breaths of air.

The heated encounter seemed to have lasted for hours, but in reality only lasted a hasty 20 minutes. Coming down from the high of their activities, Eric and Sookie both took to the task of cleaning themselves, stealing kisses and playful nips as they did so.

After some time, they were both clean and dressed. Sookie had decided to pull a Dermot move, conjuring a black dress shirt and matching dark jeans for Eric, accented with leather boots. For herself, Sookie picked out a red dress and heels. The sight made Eric leer.

'I want to rip that dress off of you already,' he said in a low voice.

'Oh shut up. We need to get to the bar, remember?' she said with a huff.

'Sadly yes. But the fact remains. You look fucking hot in that dress,' he said enthusiastically, giving her a wink.

'Whatever, you big lusty Viking. Let's go!' Sookie said, tugging on his arm. Eric acquiesced to her pulling, and followed his bonded down the stairs.

Niall had obviously traded his robes via some quick conjuring, and was now dressed in a black suit and slacks, dispensing with a tie. The Prince was waiting by the doorway, flanked by Calixto and Alvar who had also done away with their swords. Ostensibly, it was an effort to keep a rather low profile considering where they were headed.

'Come now. We will be teleporting,' the Prince said, taking Eric and Sookie's hand in each of his while Alvar and Calixto laid one hand each on Niall's shoulders. The telepath could sense the rise of her great grandfather's power, and a moment later they were standing some distance away from the Merlotte's parking lot.

Sookie took a second to get back her bearings, while Eric shook his head, still not used to traveling via teleportation. Alvar and Calixto immediately took up position behind Sookie, while she stood in between the Viking and the Fairy Prince. The group walked to the entrance, and was met with stares as they went into the bar. The crowd's thoughts suddenly bombarded Sookie.

_Bloody fucking shit, those are hot men!_

_How in the hell does Sookie always get the goddamn hot ones?_

_Oh shit, that's the hot vamp from Fangtasia! What is he doing with her?_

Having had enough, Sookie firmly put up her shields and linked her arm around Eric for good measure. As soon as her skin made contact with his, her head was filled with welcome silence. Sam immediately took notice, and wisely herded the group into his office.

Once inside, Eric did away with greetings and immediately stated his purpose, while Calixto waved his hand near the door, effectively soundproofing the room with magic as to prevent the people outside from hearing. Done with his task, Calixto took up position next to Alvar, standing guard near the door with his fairy twin brother.

'My bonded has something to say to you, shifter,' Eric said, sitting down immediately after. He copied Niall and made his own _go on _gesture, looking at Sookie.

'What is it, Sook?' Sam asked.

'I'm quitting my job, Sam,' she said, her tone apologetic.

'What? Why? It's these vampires isn't it? You bastards just leave her alone!' he yelled, his eyes now boring into Eric.

'You will watch your tone, or I will see to it that you will never speak again,' Niall said, his threat evident despite the utter calm of his voice.

'And who the hell are you?' Sam asked pointedly.

Niall stood up rather lethargically, showing how much he really didn't care about the entire situation, or the person he was talking to.

'I am Prince Niall, ruler of the Fae and Sookie's great grandfather. Now that we are introduced, I believe you should follow what I said. You will watch your tone, or your next words will be the last you speak on this Earth,' he answered, sitting back down on the chair situated next to Eric.

'So, like I said Sam, I'm quitting. Things have changed, and I really can't be doing this job anymore. I hope you understand,' Sookie said.

'Northman's making you quit, isn't he?' Sam said in reply, fighting to keep his tone down.

Apparently Eric decided that he had heard enough. The Viking vampire stood up, walked over to the shifter and stopped directly in front of him. As it was, Sam looked pitiful next to Eric's towering frame.

'Good deduction, Sam Merlotte. I am making her quit. Firstly because this establishment is not fit for one like her and that is the truth of the matter. Also because the idiotic, worthless cattle who populate this bar do not deserve her presence and attention. The cattle label includes you, in case you were wondering,' Eric said, his voice dripping with venom and distaste at having to address someone he considered inferior.

'Eric please calm down, you don't need to speak to him that way,' Sookie pleaded.

'My lover, please sit next to the Prince. I will resolve this matter myself,' he said, giving Sookie a kiss and pointing to the chair he'd vacated.

'How dare you talk to me like this in my own bar? You're out of line Eric,' Sam said, his tone already raised.

'You have no right to address me by my first name. You may, however, call me by my title. King Eric would be eminently suitable. Your Majesty will also work well,' Eric said smugly.

The shock on Sam's face was priceless.

'But I thought Bill was the king?'

'No longer. Compton is most definitely dead, and_ I_ am the king. Now, back to our earlier matter. Sookie is quitting and that is _not_ a problem, is it, shifter? If it is, I would be glad to _resolve_ it for you both,' Eric said, his tone laced with cloying friendliness. Underneath, the Viking was aching to snap Sam's neck in half.

Sam took a moment to think on his next words.

_Surely she doesn't really wanna quit? These fucking vamps are just making her do it. Oh shit, Eric is the king now? God, this is not good. I just need to get to Sookie. If I can get her to see reason, it will be fine._

'I'm not allowing it. I'm sure she doesn't want to, since she has friends that she cares about and who care the same about her. It's not your business to make decisions for her, Northman. No offense to you Prince Niall, but I believe your granddaughter is perfectly happy working here. Ain't that right, Sook?' he said, looking at Sookie with the gentle, pleading eyes of a friend.

'Yeah I don't really want to,' Sookie began to say. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Eric roared in frustration and looked at her.

'I thought we were over this, Sookie? You are a Queen and a Princess of the Fae! This place and its redneck occupants, furthermore this position, should be beneath your notice!' the Viking said, pausing to compose himself.

'This bar has been a part of almost all my life, Eric! How can you tell me that these people are beneath me? Some of the people here are my friends! You're unbelievable!' she yelled.

'Don't go off tangent with me. This is about your work. We have agreed that this job is unnecessary, impractical and quite frankly, truly beneath you. Why can you not see this? Do you think the Queen of Louisiana and Mississippi should mill around, serving beer to drunkards? Do you love them so much that you are willing to endure their filthy thoughts, their clearly rude ways? They don't even deserve you, Sookie! All I ask is that you let go of this job. You cannot work in such a menial position. You will not even be in this _motherfucking_ town, for _fucking_ crying out loud!'

'I'm the one going off tangent now? I was just replying to your elitist comments! I get it, okay? You _hate_ these people and you think they're so inferior to you. Sam, Terry, Lafayette, Arlene and everyone else in this bar is inferior, because you're just great old King Eric and I'm your bonded, so I need to think they're beneath me too. You _hate_ this job because it's menial to you. I get it! I know I can't change _your_ opinion, but that doesn't give you the right to dictate what should be mine!' Sookie said with a huff.

'Fine! Stay in your job then! Be a waitress, continue to serve these cattle that you call _people_. Continue to take orders and bring trays to the very humans who have thought ill of you, who have probably fucking groped you or something equally disgusting. I am done trying to make you see what you're worth!' Eric said, shaking his head and walking out of the bar at vampire speed. Sookie was stunned at Eric's exit and stood motionless.

'See, Sookie? Look at how he thinks! How can you stand him? He wants to control you, to change you into someone like him!' Sam threw in.

'You will be silent, or I will sever your tongue with my hands, Merlotte! Alvar, Calixto, restrain him!' Niall commanded, before he turned to Sookie and cradled her face.

'My dear child, go after your Viking,' the Prince said gently.

'Why should I? He's the one who's been making all those goddamn comments!'

'Why must you make things so hard? We came from your house with the express understanding that you would quit. Why must you reinforce to your Viking that you really don't wish to leave? Is this job so great that it is irreplaceable, my child?'

'No, of course it's not that this job is perfect!'

'So why must you keep holding onto it? You have effectively shown your bonded that you value the misguided opinions of the shifter above his own reasonable request of you!'

'What? How so, Grandpa?' Sookie asked.

'You have told the shifter that you really don't wish to leave this menial position of work, which thus means that Eric's request to do otherwise is insignificant to you. Merlotte asked you whether Eric is making you quit, correct? The Viking answered truthfully in assent. And then you chose to say that you don't really want to quit, which paints your bonded as a manipulative, controlling mate to you because he wishes for you to do so. How is this fair to him? Have you ever stopped for a second to evaluate how your statement made him look?' Niall scolded.

_Oh my God, Grandpa Niall's right. Shit, I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't even have reacted when Eric got frustrated. Fuck, I am so screwed. Sookie Stackhouse, why do you always say the wrong things at the wrong moment? Shit! _

While Sookie's thoughts continued to fill her with self-deprecation and shame, Niall broke through her musings.

'As I said, go after him. Can you sense him still?'

'Yeah, he's really near here,' she said, tuning into the bond. She neglected to mention that Eric's barely-controlled rage was present as well, a constant undercurrent to every other emotion they shared through their connection.

'Well then go, child. I will be talking with Mr. Merlotte over some things. Principally, we will talk about how he is too interfering for his own good,' he said.

Sookie wasted no time and instead chose to exercise her teleportation. It was remarkably easy, since her thoughts were occupied by no one else except her destination. Before long, she stood in the shadow of one of the trees far from the bar. She was looking straight at Eric, who had his back turned to her.

The Viking continued to look up at the sky, aware of her presence but not acknowledging it at all. Sookie chose to walk up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. His reaction was frightening as he turned to face her.

'Don't take liberties with me, Sookie Stackhouse! Don't you have a shift to cover, maybe some beer to serve? Far be it from me to cause the shifter to _fucking_ disapprove of your work. Am I not merely your bonded who wants to control you by making you quit, and who wants to train you in my way of thinking?' he said coldly, turning around again with a scoff.

'Eric please…' she pleaded, wrapping her arms around his back as she stood behind him.

The Viking fought to keep control and not to react to her gesture. Still not facing her, Eric spoke.

'What is it about _this town_ that makes you cling to it? What is it about _this bar_ that makes it so hard for you to leave it? Is there something here I have not provided or cannot provide? Or is it just the way I think which makes you recoil from the things I say?' he asked simply, exerting his iron willpower over his emotions. His tone was flat, inflectionless and devoid of feeling.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you look manipulative or anything, I promise. I'm also sorry for telling you off earlier, you know me, I can't back down from a fight! I regret what I said and what I did,' Sookie said, her tears beginning to run down her face. Eric felt the sadness in the bond, but as before, paid it no mind.

'Perhaps it is the shifter. I suppose I cannot compete with him, can I? He has known you for so much longer than I have. I would like to believe that this will never happen again, but it seems that even with your apology, I still find it hard to do so,' Eric replied.

'He's known me longer than you have, Eric. That's true and it can't be helped. And I know how you are, so I understand why you find it hard to believe that this won't happen anymore. Believe me, I don't blame you. But I will say this Eric Northman, and I _will_ face you as I say it.'

Sookie unwrapped her arms from his back, and walked over to stand in front of him.

'Sam may have known me longer, but he doesn't know me _better_. And while he is a good friend, he _isn't_ the man I love. I've told you before that I belong to you. That is completely true. I've also told you before that I love you, and that's the most truthful thing I've ever said in my life,' she ended tearfully.

Sookie began to walk away, but was stopped in her tracks by the sudden sensation of her vampire wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, a carbon copy of her gesture.

'Don't walk away from your old Viking, lover. He loves you very much,' he said, whispering against her silken hair before he turned her around to face him. She was powerless to do anything but cry against his chest as she hugged him.

'I'm so sorry, Eric,' she said in between her small sobs.

'Shh, sweetling. Don't cry, I despise it when you cry. All is well between us,' he said, kissing her forehead then her eyelids, in a gentle gesture of forgiveness. He moved to kiss her lips, but Sookie recoiled slightly.

'How can you be so good to me? I don't deserve you,' she said sadly.

'Isn't that my line?' he said jokingly, earning a giggle from Sookie, coupled with a playful swat on the arm. Things were rapidly normalizing again.

'Quiet now, my lover. Kiss your Viking, he craves your lips,' he said afterwards, leaning down to capture her lips with his own.

Sookie acquiesced willingly and poured all of her love for him in that one kiss, accentuating it with the love she filled the bond with. Eric returned the emotion in equal gesture as his lips melded with hers passionately. Her hands wound themselves into his hair while his own were wrapped around her hips and back, keeping her pressed flush against him.

Eventually, Sookie broke away for air. Eric used his finger to gently wipe away the tear tracks on her face, before he gave her another brief kiss.

'You look fine, my love. Come now, we will finish this conversation with the shifter and then we will go to your house and wait for Pam and Gregory,' he said gently, before he scooped her up and flashed back to Sam's office, stopping only to open the door.

Once inside, Sookie immediately noticed the bleeding gash on Sam's cheek.

'Grandpa, what did you do to him?' she asked accusingly.

'Taught him not to speak where he is not warranted, and not to interfere in the matters of his superiors. Don't worry though, he will heal quite quickly,' Niall said, shrugging carelessly.

'Very good, Prince,' Eric said, before turning to Sam.

'As for you, the decision is final. Sookie is quitting and that's the end of it. You will not prevent it, you will make no comment on it. Don't even bother with severance pay, it's not necessary. Whatever you call severance pay is just pocket change to me. You will need it more than she does, believe me,' Eric said confidently.

Sam nodded, dabbing on his injury with a small cloth.

'I'm sorry it had to be so complicated and all, but that is my decision, Sam. Goodbye,' she said.

'I apologize too, Sookie. And if ever you need anything, you give me a call, you hear me?' he said, moving towards her for a hug. The moment he came within a foot of her, Eric's hand sent him stumbling backwards, but thankfully not enough to make him fall down.

'You have no right to touch my Queen, and you would do well to remember that,' he said venomously, fangs down.

'Eric, let's just go, okay?' Sookie said, placing a restraining hand on his arm.

'Very well. Come now, Prince. We have some matters to attend to back at the house,' Eric said imperiously, his hand already entwined with Sookie's.

Niall didn't even say goodbye to Sam, instead turning fluidly around to stand on the other side of Sookie like before. Alvar and Calixto took up their usual places behind their telepathic fairy mistress, and the group walked out of Merlotte's and into the dark night.

A/N There we are people, the end of our first chapter. The next chapter will contain Pam and Gregory, since it's time to decide on what to do with the spoils of war, namely, the two kingdoms which Eric has just conquered.

Leave a review! Tell me what you think, comments on the content, maybe even something you'd like to see in the next chapter. Remember you guys, you help write this story more than you'll ever know. See you in Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N New chapter, you guys. I was planning to post this immediately after the first chapter, but then I got sidetracked with a huge party that my friend Albert threw with his typical Swedish enthusiasm, plus I wanted to mull over your reviews. For this reason, I'm posting it just now. Anyway, so as not to waste any valuable time, on with our story!

As with my previous work, only the plot and other original characters belong to me. Everything else belongs to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball. That disclaimer applies to this entire body of work.

Chapter 2

After the rather grave events at Sam's bar, Eric and his group wisely decided to head straight back to the house. Once there, Niall had decided to enjoin everyone to relax, knowing that the extremely stressful events of the hour before had temporarily taken the wind out of everyone's sails.

Having decided thus, Niall put his powers to use. Fruit was the order of the evening, and the Fairy Prince soon had apples, chocolate and some savory pasta laid out on the living room table, in addition to plates and utensils. Sookie smiled gratefully at her great grandfather and began to eat. It was not until twenty minutes later that she had finished her food, and Eric decided to have his own dinner.

'Lover, I am quite thirsty. Perhaps you would find it in your benevolent heart to feed your Viking?' he questioned, intoning his speech with a rather medieval theatricality. His eyes, now innocent and pleading, only added to the effect.

It was worth remembering that Niall was seated in a chair across from them, while Eric and Sookie sat on the plush couch. As soon as the word _thirsty_ had come out of Eric's mouth, the Prince wanted to retch yet again. As it was, he only managed a resigned, tired sigh.

'You sure it's okay?' Sookie asked him, obviously knowing he would be uncomfortable.

'It is not like I can stop him, is it? He is your bonded, and he is the king of this territory. If I did, I would be quite out of line. Besides, I don't quite think you _want_ me to stop him, my child,' Niall answered, shrugging dejectedly.

Eric took this as his cue to let his fangs drop, before sidling up close to Sookie and giving her a preparatory lick on the neck. A second later, he sank his fangs in and began to eagerly drink the blood gushing into his mouth. Unable to tamp down on his natural reactions, Eric began to grow aroused, pressing himself insistently against his fairy lover. In equal measure, Sookie's own lust for her Viking began to make itself known.

That was the scene which Pam and Gregory arrived to. Eric was having his dinner, the Prince was trying his hardest not to retch, Alvar was shaking his head, and Calixto was… nibbling on an apple.

The best thing about the entire situation was that it looked as if this was the normal scene every evening. The sight made Gregory laugh.

'This is certainly a motley crew you have here, my brother,' he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

'I'll say. Master, would you mind sharing?' Pam teased.

Eric took a few more lazy sips before he withdrew his fangs and licked the punctures to seal them. Immediately after, he glared at Pam and let out a small growl.

'No need to get all worked up. So, what are we here for, Eric?' she asked, standing next to Gregory a few meters from the Prince.

'We will talk in the dining area,' Eric said, before he stood and led everyone to the location he'd specified. Once there, he took a seat at the head of the table, with Sookie on his right and Niall sitting across from her. Gregory sat next to Niall and Pam sat next to the telepath.

With his usual commanding tone and verve, Eric immediately went into monarch mode without missing a beat.

'As everyone of course knows, Sookie and I have a new position in the hierarchy. This brings with it a large spate of new problems and quite frankly, new shit to deal with. Thus far, I've decided that I will run Louisiana myself, of course with the help and support of my dear Queen. I will, therefore, need a Lieutenant for Mississippi to represent me there. Pam, would you like that position?' the Viking said, turning to his progeny.

Pam shook her head, and proceeded with her explanation.

'Actually no. I don't like being far from you, Eric. Plus, you and Sookie just provide me endless entertainment. I see no point in leaving, so you gotta pick someone else,' she said, shooting Sookie a wink as she turned her head. The telepath laughed slightly and shook her head.

'I understand. I'd also prefer you stay close, so I will appoint you Sheriff of Area Five in my stead. As for picking someone else, I have someone in mind. Brother, would you be fine with being my representative in Mississippi?' Eric said.

'I've never served anyone in power before, you know this. I've always liked my freedom, and living a relatively simple existence. However, _mio fratello, _I would be glad to make an exception for you. At least the states are very near each other, plus I have wanted to see what living in America is like for quite some time now. _Grazie, fratello,_' Gregory answered with a nod. Pam smiled and nodded as well regarding her new political position.

'I'm happy Eric chose you, Gregory. You're a really good friend to him, and I'm glad you were there for us during the battle, as well as up to now,' Sookie added, smiling at the Italian vampire.

'My pleasure, little one,' he said amiably, grinning back at Sookie.

'Your duties will be similar to my own. You will oversee projects, the finances of the state and what not. You will have authority which is superseded only by Sookie's or my own, and will make many decisions free from interference. I only ask that you report to us regularly. Is this acceptable to you, my brother?' Eric asked.

'Yes. Thank you for your trust,' Gregory said, before he stood up and proceeded to kiss Eric's ring as a sign of respect. Having done that, the Italian immortal sat down again with a satisfied smile.

'Now that we've somewhat squared away the affairs of Mississippi, the next thing I want done is a proper announcement that Compton is no longer the king. Many may not know of that fact, even despite the knowledge that the vampires of my former Area have probably spread the news. Pam, I trust you can do this for me?'

'Yes, Master. Should I do it now?' Pam asked, smiling when she'd heard him say _my former Area. _To her, it was a reaffirmation of her new role as Sheriff.

'Later. For now, I would like everyone to speak freely. There are a lot of things to be done in the coming weeks, and even my thousand-year old mind cannot think of them all. Does anybody have ideas on what we need to do?' Eric said, looking around the table.

Niall spoke first.

'Your pledging is of the utmost importance. This will be followed of course by your Coronation. I suggest they be held consecutively. The pledging first to establish Sookie as your wife and mate, followed by the Coronation to establish her as your Queen,' the Prince said, speaking from the standpoint of Sookie's eldest relative. As a tactician, Niall was also ensuring that his own granddaughter would be accorded the respect she deserved.

'My lover, have you decided on the pledging?'

'Yes I have. Considering everything that you and Grandpa have told me about the difference between bonds and pledges, I'd be very happy to do it. Of course I have some more questions, but they can wait,' Sookie answered.

'I'm glad,' Eric replied, his hand snaking across the table to hers, before he raised her dainty hand to his lips for a kiss.

'Master, I'd like to help plan the Coronation. It will be great, I'm telling you. You'll be the envy of everyone!' Pam interjected, eyes lighting up with her enthusiasm. If there was one thing she loved as equally as her Manolo Blahnik shoes, it was planning big parties.

'As you wish. At least have it three months from now. It will give us enough time to check up on the finances of the two states as well as correct any aberrant incidents that have been occurring, if there are any. Sookie, is three months okay with you?' Eric said, looking at the telepath.

'Yeah. It will be fine. Besides, it's Pam doing the planning and I'm sure she'll do great!' she said, looking at her vampire's child.

'As for your insignia, I'd like to remind you Eric that the rings you're wearing used to belong to two despicable men. Would you like new rings crafted, brother?' Gregory pitched in.

'Yes, they're not quite my size. In addition, I would like two matching rings made for Sookie. How soon can this be done?'

'I know some jewelers in France who are admirers of yours, _mio fratello_. I am sure they can have your rings made in two weeks if the order is placed tomorrow evening,' Gregory answered.

Eric nodded his assent, leaning back in the dining chair to mentally run through everything that had been brought up. The Nordic vampire took a few more moments to compose his thoughts before he spoke again.

'As for projects, I would like to think about getting Louisiana back on its feet. Comprehensive reconstruction efforts here in Louisiana are not being done by the government as quickly as they can, and I think this will be good publicity. New Orleans is a mecca for our kind, and the human population would be very receptive to our assistance if we put forward a helpful face. It will be a masterful use of PR, showing how much faster we respond to the problems in communities where our kind has a large presence,' Eric added.

'Plus it never hurts that you're hot,' Pam said, a shark-like grin on her face. Sookie nodded enthusiastically at that statement.

'Mississippi will need straightening out. The power vacuum left by Russell needs repair, and the large problem they have with the dealing of vampire blood needs to be dealt with,' Gregory said, adding in his own two cents.

'I'd like that dealt with _resolutely_. Find the drainers and their cohorts. In this case, my priority is absolutely _our_ own kind. Slaughter anyone who needs to be slaughtered if they have a hand in those despicable activities. Question the Weres, the vampires and anyone who might have information. Once you've captured the drainers, interrogate them and then take care of the problem,' Eric instructed to his new Lieutenant.

'Eric, you mean _kill them_, don't you?' Sookie asked fearfully.

'Yes. I will not have my kind used as a tool of entrepreneurship. I have many new vampires who look to me for leadership, and I do not plan to fail them,' the Viking replied seriously.

'But you'll end up killing so many humans!' Sookie said, before Niall placed a hand atop hers from across the table.

'Remember what I told you at the shifter's bar my child. Your Viking has his place,' he said, calmly but strongly. The telepath's eyes lost their arguing light and she nodded. Add to that, she remembered what the Ancient Pythoness had previously told her back at Fangtasia.

'I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, Eric. It's cruel the way humans prey on vampires for money and I'll just let you take care of the problem yourself. If you need me to listen in, I'd be happy to do that for you,' she answered, her tone deferent in remembrance of how the Prince had scolded her for undermining Eric's own position and power.

'Thank you for understanding, lover,' Eric said, liking the more mature side which Sookie was now showing. He gave Niall a subtle nod of approval, which the Prince returned.

'Let us turn to security, my son,' Niall began, but was cut off by Sookie.

'Why do you keep calling Eric your son?'

The Fairy Prince leaned back in his chair and smiled a knowing smile.

'I knew you would catch on to that. Your Viking here has some Fae blood from his ancestors on the maternal side of his family. By the time he was born, the purity was much diluted already, somewhat like your case. The blood is from a sky fairy, which is our specific type. Thus, while I will neglect to say which specific fairy gave him his small smidgen, I will confirm that he is indeed a possessor of Fae blood. The turning process effectively canceled it out quite well, though it can still be sensed if you know how,' the Prince answered.

'What the fuck? This is screwed up!' Pam interjected. The idea of Eric having Fae blood was an anathema to her.

'I was not finished. Because of that, I am within my right to call him a son of our race. In addition to his now-defunct heritage, he is your bonded. You are a daughter of my blood, and your connection to him is quite deep already. Is it not natural for a grandfather to call the mate of his granddaughter as his son? That is how I see him. He is very nearly your husband, for all intents and purposes. He is, therefore, my son,' Niall ended, looking straight at Sookie.

For his part, Eric's mind was reeling.

'I have your word this is true, fairy? If you are toying with me, I _will_ kill you. Do not forget, I have already subdued you once under the force of my fangs. It would be quite easy to choose not to stop until you are _dead_,' the Viking threatened.

'Why do you think I have not killed you? We have met before on the battlefield, have we not? Aside from the fact that you are admittedly difficult to kill, I recognized the blood of my race in you during those times that we met. As Prince, I felt that it was not prudent to end your existence. Even with our antagonistic bent, I saw you as a magnificent warrior and a good testament to the Sky Fae, even if you had been turned into our mortal enemy,' Niall said, sighing audibly.

'Go on Niall,' Eric said imperiously, leaning forward and placing his fingertips together in a tent-like fashion.

'I was prepared to end you because you killed Claudine, but then Sookie intervened on your behalf. It seems you keep getting lucky. Besides, Eric! Not all vampires are as handsome as you, and I _have_ seen enough of your kind to be able to make that judgment. I am willing to bet you were extraordinarily beautiful in comparison to the people of your time, even up to now. Where did you think your looks came from?' Niall answered with an easy smile.

'Fucking hell!' Eric cursed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

'So that's why…' Sookie said, trailing off.

'Indeed, my child. I am perfectly within my rights to call him my son,' the Prince said, still wearing his smug but devastatingly beautiful fairy-smile.

'Let us get back to our earlier path of conversation. Going off tangent has been enjoyable and enlightening, but has distracted us from the matters at hand. I believe we were discussing security?' Gregory said suddenly. The subject had made the Italian immortal quite uneasy, and he was eager to return to more comfortable territory.

'Very well. This house as well as my main residence in Shreveport, while adequate as personal homes, will not be able to sufficiently service the need for work and guest spaces combined with rooms to live in. Pam, you will find land for the construction of the new Royal Residence. Have Bill's home destroyed. I want no trace of that traitor in my kingdom, am I understood?'

'Yes Master. Any figures or specific needs in your head?' Pam answered.

'At least 10 bedrooms should fit in that place. One master bedroom for Sookie and I then the rest can be guest spaces. I need enough storage for my weapons and the like, as well as substantial closet space. It should have room for a large office as well as my library, to service work needs. The dining area should seat at least 25, and the kitchen should be large enough to accommodate professional staff. A space for entertaining guests should be included, while the land surrounding the residence should be spacious, and have room for a pool and some space for recreation. Land space for courtyards and grounds is also a definite requirement. Servants' quarters should also be present, as well as a guard house for the security personnel. The property should ideally be near New Orleans. That's where we need to be right now,' Eric said, having rattled off all the ideas quickly as soon as they popped into his head.

Sookie was stunned at his specifications.

'Do we really need all that? It all sounds a little too much for me. I mean, ten bedrooms?'

'It's perfectly necessary, Sookie. We need lots of space to work and live in, and gifts to curry our favor will come in droves so we will need massive storage. Of course, the place will need to be maintained, hence the servants. Security is also a priority, hence the guard house. Everything in that residence has its purpose, trust me,' Eric answered, his hand moving to lie atop hers.

The telepath nodded, while Niall turned his head to address the Viking.

'I would like to assist in the completion of this residence. If your progeny can soon find the land, I can conjure the basic structure, and the furnishing can just be done either by purchasing pieces or by conjuring. It will speed up moving time, since it should be done before your Coronation. The gifts, like you said, will come in droves once you are crowned. I admit begrudgingly that you have many admirers, and your current residences will be overcome by them.'

Eric smirked at Niall's statement, but soon enough, Pam decided to join in the conversation once more.

'Master, if I may? There is one property I conducted research on prior to this meeting, since I was anticipating the fact that you'd want me to check land out. It's near New Orleans like you want, but far from the main roads so it's good security-wise. It's huge _and_ for sale, but the fucking owner is a bigot who hates our kind. I think his dad died or some shit, and the old man was a sympathizer with the Fellowship. His son has the same _fucking_ bent,' she said, delicately running a hand through her hair.

'For the right price, I'm sure he can be convinced to sell his land. How much is he selling it for?' Eric asked.

'Don't know, he didn't list the shit-ass price. It's a five-hectare property so I'm sure it's expensive, but it's the one that best serves what you want. From what I got, it was used for some pretty shady crap, and the owner is looking to get it off his hands. We've come along, but he fucking hates fangs,' Pam lamented.

'Well, that presents a problem. It might be wise to meet him and discuss terms. Do you have his contact number?'

'Yep. Here,' Pam said, handing Eric her phone. He immediately stood and went to the living room, leaving everyone seated and talking in the dining area. He copied the number onto his phone and pressed the call button. After three rings, a distinctly Southern, old-sounding voice lilted raggedly into the phone.

'This is Tyler Jennings. What the hell do you want?'

'Good evening Mr. Jennings, my name is Eric Northman. I am an influential businessman, and I am looking to buy the property you have put up for sale near New Orleans?' Eric said smoothly, even though he was miffed at the man's rudeness.

'Good to hear. I'm selling it for 2.5 million and no less than that, so if you're planning to pay less, you best be off finding some other guy to buy from,' Jennings said into the phone.

'Ah well, I can pay that quite easily. What I do want however, is to meet you first. I am sure this will be acceptable to you?'

'Fine. I have to be somewhere two days from now, so tomorrow night is good. That okay with you, son?'

Eric scoffed at the term Jennings had used, but instead gave his affirmation and the address of Fangtasia before he hung up. He walked back to the dining room, handed Pam her phone back and sat down again with a satisfied, complacent look.

'He will meet with us tomorrow evening. Sookie, I will need you to do some listening in for me. His Fellowship tendencies will show themselves once he finds out it's a vampire that he's dealing with, if he doesn't already know from the fact that I gave Fangtasia's address as the meeting place. The bar is under reconstruction but it will do,' Eric said.

'That's fine. Is this all that we need to be talking about? We've been talking a good two hours now, you know.'

'Perhaps we can squeeze in a quick visit to Fangtasia. It's only nine, and I want to check on the vampires who are assisting in its reconstruction. Are you up for this visit?' Eric asked, turning to his lover.

'I'll be okay Eric,' Sookie said reassuringly.

'Well, we should be off since I don't want us to waste any time. Niall, if I may call upon your powers again? My office is our destination. Or, at least, what remains of it.'

The Viking turned to the Prince, who had already stood up, while Pam and Gregory also did the same. The Prince nodded, instructing everyone to form a circle. Calixto and Alvar linked hands with the group, and closed their eyes in preparation for expending a huge amount of energy. Soon enough, the whole group had been transported to Fangtasia via what Sookie liked to call the _Fairy Express. _

The seven of them trooped out of the office and into the main area of the bar, explaining that they had used the back employee entrance as an excuse for their sudden appearance. The vampires present bowed as Eric and Sookie passed them, then went back to their work.

The vampires were barking out instructions to the contractors who were milling around, making measurements and inspections on damage. Some of the construction workers were making little test batches of what looked to be concrete, while the others were busy comparing wood samples in different tones. The bar was now devoid of debris and considerably clean.

One of the vampires walked over to them and bowed in front of Eric and Sookie.

'Good evening, Your Majesties. My name is Scott, and I am overseeing construction. I am from Area Three, but I am an acquaintance of Miss Pamela and she asked me to oversee this project. Is everything to your liking?'

'It's all being done so quickly! Oh, and it's nice to meet you Scott,' Sookie said with a gracious smile, her eyes twinkling.

'It is equally lovely to make your acquaintance, my Queen. I am very honored to be able to work personally for Your Majesties. I assure you that I will keep my eye on this whole project!'

Scott had spoken enthusiastically, which made Sookie smile again before she went off to look around with Pam and Niall, leaving Eric and Scott to talk.

'The progress is quite pleasing, as far as I can see. Update me,' Eric commanded to Scott.

'Your progeny was very strict in telling us that everyone was to start work immediately, Sire. We brought in a large work crew from the near areas, and we are inspecting as of the moment. Choices of concrete for the foundations and walls, as well as wood for the paneling are being tested this evening. Would you like to make choices personally?'

'No. I will leave them to you and Pam. I trust everything is in order? No paperwork or financial problems with the fact that this is all such short notice?'

'None, Your Majesty. The work has been put on your personal account by Miss Pam and the papers have already been sorted. If I may say Sire, you have been an extraordinary Sheriff! Everything in Area Five is more streamlined and efficient than what I have seen in Area Three,' Scott enthused, happy to compliment his superior.

'Thank you. The compensation is to your satisfaction?'

'Your Majesty is most generous. Actually the payment is 60 percent above anything I ever received for similar projects in Area Three. I am grateful, and I'm sure everyone is as well.'

'Then I am sure you will do your work well, isn't that right, Scott?' Eric said clearly.

'Of course. I have no plans to disappoint Your Majesty. Ah, in addition Sire, I would like to petition for my stay here. While I like Area Three, this Area is far more productive for me. Is this acceptable to Your Majesty?' Scott asked hopefully.

'I have appointed Pam as Sheriff of this Area. You may forward your request to her for paperwork purposes, but I see no problem with it. If all goes well here, I may also request you to oversee the construction of the new Royal Residence.'

'Your belief in my abilities is flattering, Sire. I shall make sure not to disappoint you.'

'Take care that you don't, or I will not nearly be as kind as I am now. I wish to see to my Queen, so I will leave you to your work,' Eric said simply.

Scott bowed and excused himself. The Viking flashed over to Sookie, who was startled by his appearance from behind her.

'I told you not to do that zippy thing!' Sookie admonished.

'Sorry lover,' Eric said, taking on a chastised look before kissing her suddenly, making Sookie swat his arm afterwards.

'Everyone's fine. I listened in, and all they're thinking of is how highly they're being paid.'

'That's reassuring. I like to pay well for good service, sweetheart. They do good work, I pay good money and they become motivated to stay loyal. Business smarts, you could say,' he answered with a careless shrug and a smile.

After a moment, Pam gave Eric a pat on the shoulder.

'If I may interrupt you two lovebirds? Eric, you should pick up your laptop and stuff. I had them fetched from your house in Shreveport. They're in your office,' she said.

'I'll pick them up before we go home. I assume you'll be redecorating my office since you're now the Sheriff?' Eric said with a grin, his arm linked with Sookie's.

'Hell yes I am. And the best part is, no one will think to antagonize me because they know I'm your child. It will be fuck awesome to rule over these new minions of mine,' she said, nodding.

'I don't think they'll antagonize you even if you weren't Eric's child, Pam. Do you even know how goddamn scary you are?' Sookie added, making Eric laugh.

'So fucking true. But you gotta admit, the scariness comes in a damn attractive package!' Pam said, giving the telepath a fangy grin which made Sookie giggle.

For his part, Eric was just happy to see his two women get along well. Suddenly remembering how he'd treated Pam as of recent, Eric took her aside and asked Gregory to keep Sookie company in his stead.

'What is it, Eric?' Pam asked while Sookie and Gregory walked away.

'I'm sorry for how I've been with you as of late,' he answered simply, unaccustomed to having to apologize to his child for anything he'd done.

'I get it. You were over the moon with your little fairy telepath, and I tried to aim a missile launcher at her. Also, you suck at apologies, so put a sock in it. Shoes would be a suitable gift in exchange,' she said, having taken on a light attitude to the entire thing.

'I suppose being King does have financial advantages. Go for broke,' Eric said with a smile and a nod to his progeny.

'Now we're talking. I knew you loved me!' Pam said enthusiastically, giving Eric a fangy smirk.

'You know I do, Pam. I promised you always and forever didn't I?' the Viking replied, reminding his progeny of the promise he'd made her the night she was turned. _Always and forever _had been his pledge, that he would keep her safe and prosperous by his side.

'Damn straight!' she remarked.

Pam smiled, continuing her banter with her maker. Some distance away, Gregory was busy regaling Sookie with stories of the times which he and Eric had lived through, seated as they were in one of the spare booths.

'So you were in Marie Antoinette's court?' Sookie asked, full of curious wonder.

'Yes we were. Everybody knows Count Axel von Fersen, her Swedish lover. Well, he was not the only Swede at court. The other one was the great Eric Northman! In fact, Axel von Fersen looks quite pedestrian in comparison to him. I kid you not!' Gregory answered, his eyes alight and twinkling.

'And no one knows this?'

'We lived in secret, my dear. I gather, most of their encounters were rather sordid and hidden. All I did for him at that time was standing outside the door and glamouring anyone who tried to come in, or otherwise interfere.'

'Tell me more. I find myself mightily interested,' Sookie said.

'I believe she had him painted. He has the painting of course, but I believe it is either in his vaults or in one of his other residences,' the Italian vampire answered.

'What a goddamn Casanova!'

'Indeed. We were all over Europe. Your mighty old Viking had no shortage of female companions. Most of them were from the royal and noble families, though he had no compunctions with taking up with a rather attractive servant girl or what not,' Gregory explained, smiling widely.

'How about you?'

'Me? My most memorable time was in the Medici court in my native Italy. Anna Maria Medici was a particular conquest. From the French part of their court, I was with Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, daughter of the Duke of Orléans.'

'So you're no less of a Lothario!' Sookie remarked with a laugh, making Gregory nod and join her in her infectious laughter.

'What are you two talking about?' Eric said, suddenly barging into the conversation before he quickly sat next to Sookie, leaning down to lathe her skin with wet kisses.

'About your uh, conquests,' Sookie said raggedly, Eric still making love to her neck.

'More specifically, about your little dalliances with Marie Antoinette and what not,' Gregory added, chuckling.

'Is that so?' the Viking whispered against his lover's neck, before he immediately returned to his previous efforts. As it was, the telepath was beginning to writhe with pleasure.

'Yes. It was all about how Gregory would stand outside the door while you went Viking on her,' Sookie said, pushing him away.

'Please don't tell me you're jealous, lover?' Eric asked with a smirk.

'I kinda am. How the fuck can I compare to someone like Marie Antoinette, or everyone else you've been with in one thousand plus years?' Sookie answered, her eyes somewhat distant.

Eric quickly moved closer, giving Sookie a long, passionate kiss, trapping her against the booth with his lithe form. With each insistent movement of their lips, the insecurity faded away to be replaced by the familiarly raging lust which they always felt for each other. Gregory wisely stood and went away, not bothering to stop either Sookie or his friend the Viking. The vampires in the bar had turned their attention to the pair instead of their duties, while Pam watched on, occasionally shaking her head.

Eventually, Sookie had to break away for air. Her eyes were glazed over with passion, while Eric had a look of pure lust on his face. His clear, oceanic orbs were filled with emotion, resolutely showing how much he too had been affected by their kissing. Wasting no time, he moved down to Sookie's neck, laving her skin with his lips and tongue before he leaned upwards to whisper roughly in her ear.

'Pop us home and I'll show you that you're the only one for me, lover.'

The telepath nodded, her mind already somewhat hazy. Tugging on his hand, Sookie pulled Eric all the way back to the office, their shared impatience clearly evident. Niall had seen the entire encounter and resigned himself to the inevitable.

Meanwhile, thus situated, Sookie closed her eyes and clasped Eric's hands. She began to think intensely about her bedroom. The pair spent a moment in transit through the magic, but was soon standing squarely in the middle of the room with looks of lust framing their faces.

Ever filled with initiative, Eric immediately pushed Sookie down onto the bed, his mouth rapidly taking hers in a hot, lingering kiss. The Viking's hands immediately took to the task of divesting Sookie's clothing, ripping her dress in half with a careless pull while the telepath went to work on unbuckling his belt.

'You know every other woman will hold no candle to you, Sookie,' he whispered against her as he shucked his pants, before he took her hand and placed it on his straining cock. The fairy telepath took hold of his length, giving it a firm stroke and making him groan.

'Only you can do this to me, sweetling. Do you see what you do to me?' he said roughly, flipping them so that he was positioned under her, straddled by Sookie's soft, inviting body. She continued to stroke him, emboldened by the control he allowed her to have over him.

'I think I can see just fine, Your Majesty,' she said, lowering her voice by an octave as her free hand roamed over his perfect physique. His cock twitched in response to her brazen exploration of his maleness, making him growl.

'I love it when you call me by a title. Go on lover. Control me. I want you to see and know that you should never be jealous. All of me belongs to you,' he declared passionately, before he broke down into incoherence once Sookie took him in her mouth and started to suck.

She began to bob her head, surrounding his engorged shaft with the wet warmth of her mouth and making Eric rip the sheets as he held on to them. Suddenly, she stopped and looked up at him with teasing, sultry eyes.

'All of you, huh? Okay then, I hereby assert my royal authority. Control yourself,' Sookie commanded, giving Eric's shaft a quick stroke, and then taking him back into her mouth. Her sucking grew more powerful, determined to make him lose complete control. She added her hands to the mix, either pumping what her mouth couldn't take in, or fondling his balls to enhance the entire experience.

'Ah, Sookie. Fuck! Don't fucking stop,' he managed to say, before he dissolved into grunting and letting out loud growls that reverberated through him and into her, even. His hands had turned the sheets to ribbons.

'Eric, _control_, I said. You're gonna kill yourself!' she said playfully, before she returned to her earlier task. She withdrew a bit and gave the head a quick lick. The result was Eric's descent into mad pleasure.

'Think so. Kill me. I don't care, Sookie. Kill me with your mouth, do anything you fucking want,' he groaned out, bucking into her mouth deeply. Sookie took it in stride, pleased by how lost in pleasure she had made him.

'Ooh, I like this side of you. Don't worry, my handsome Viking, you're gonna get your release,' she cooed, taking him in deeper than before. Her free hand raked his muscled abdomen, the nails scratching ever so slightly. If he had any semblance of control before, it was gone now.

'Lover… ungh! Fuck, you feel so fucking good!' he groaned, bucking upwards into her mouth uncontrollably, his hand tangled in her silken hair. Sookie relaxed her throat when he bucked again. The moment she did so, Eric was done for.

The sensation made him come, his release tearing out of him in long, violent spurts and making him roar loudly. He made a few thrusts into her mouth, letting out guttural groans as his body was overcome with pleasure. He was taking deep breaths, unnecessary though they were. It seemed as if every part of his body was a live wire and he felt his release all over, his muscles sparking with the feeling. Add to that, he was immensely satisfied by how totally she had taken every single drop of him.

He leaned up to kiss her, drunk on the taste of her lips combined with his own fluids. All he could think about at that point was how much pleasure she had given him, and how much he wanted to return it in equal measure.

With that goal in mind, he gave her another kiss and positioned her under him on the center of the bed. He began with her face and neck, showering it with kisses that alternated from fierce and passionate to playful and gentle, while his body pressed against hers insistently.

Eventually, he moved down to her shoulders and arms, nipping her graceful shoulder blades with his teeth. His fangs were already down, and they grazed her skin with precise, teasing gentleness. For her part, Sookie was writhing under his impassioned attentions, struggling to arch closer into him but stopped by the weight of his perfect form above hers.

'Good things come to those who wait, my impatient little fairy,' he admonished, smirking because of her futile but passionate struggles.

'You can say that 'cause you ain't the one waiting,' she retorted, letting out a low moan when his mouth settled over one breast and began to lavish it with attention. After a few minutes of leisurely sucking, he moved to the other and worshiped it with the same fiery ardor.

By that time, Sookie was nearly exploding with sensation, each nerve in her body sparking uncontrollably. She began to grip onto his hair tightly, only letting go when he started to move down to her aching, wet core. Once there, he was determined to make her scream.

He took long licks of her center, beginning to lose his head a bit at the taste.

'You could make me a very rich man, my sweet. If I could bottle your taste, I would conquer the world one drop at a time,' he said teasingly, flicking her clit with his talented tongue, happily watching her groan and writhe.

'Oh? Planning to share me, are you?' she remarked coolly, looking for all the world like she actually began to entertain the idea. At the mention of sharing, Eric quickly did a double-take.

'Now that you phrase it that way, I don't think so. I'll never be able to share you. Every single bit of you should _and_ will _always_ belong to me,' he answered, his tongue beginning to probe into her, making her scream with pleasure.

'Eric, please. I need you right now. Don't deny me,' she pleaded. Ordinarily he would have refused and prolonged his teasing, but the need in her voice was calling to him for satisfaction. The primal part of him was hollering in victory.

'Far be it from me to deny the demands of my queen,' he said, already hovering above her. With a loving kiss to her lips, he slid into her smoothly and growled at the pleasure.

Eric began to move, his thrusts filled with passionate force as he held on to her. He quickly sank his head down into the crevice joining her neck and shoulder, laving it with his tongue, if not giving it gentle little bites or grazing it with the points of his fangs.

He grunted and groaned with each surge into her, while Sookie was making little keening noises, incoherently expressing her pleasure at being joined so intimately with her vampire. His thrusts were powerful, all-consuming in their intensity as they continued their pleasurable union.

'You see how this is all for you, lover? No one except you can ever have me,' he whispered, already beginning to feel the delicious clenching of her insides as he hooked his hands under her legs, speeding up his thrusting.

'God Eric, I love you…' she bit out hoarsely, taking deep breaths as she began to feel the first slivers of her orgasm nearing. Her cries heightened their pitch, her body beginning to surrender to the uncontrollable storm of passion overtaking them both.

'Tell me, my Queen. Tell me who your King is,' he growled roughly, the words rather obscured by the sounds he was making as he brought her to the very cusp of glorious release.

'Ah, you are! You're my King!'

With Sookie's yell, Eric sank his fangs into her neck, both of them coming violently. The fairy telepath continued to grip tightly onto the Viking's body as their bodies were wracked by tremulous spasms of pleasure. It seemed never-ending, until Eric bit into his wrist and placed it against his lover's lips, before returning to his place on her neck and continuing to drink.

As soon as she began to suck on the oozing punctures, the climax they were both recovering from restarted again, sending them both on a high which seemed too glorious to ever come down from. Eric's seed shot out of him violently once more as he fought to regain control, continuing to thrust deeply as he rode out his pleasure, withdrawing his fangs and roaring loudly into the empty air of the bedroom.

The throaty sounds emanating from him echoed throughout the empty house, accentuated by Sookie's own screams of completion as she panted with each delicious quiver of her insides.

Eventually, they _did _come down from their high, but the whole process of calming themselves down took a good hour. The intervening time was filled with lazy caresses, gentle kissing and affectionate whispers to each other as they both returned to a state of relative normalcy in the silence of Sookie's bedroom. Well, at least until Eric remembered his laptop.

'Pam's not gonna like the fact that I forgot my laptop, my love. As it is, I already forget a great deal of things when you are with me.'

'Your fault. You were the one who was all like _pop us home, _so you have to deal with the wrath of the new Sheriff of Area Five,' she said, laughing a bit.

'Ah well, at least I am King now,' Eric enthused, giving Sookie another gentle kiss. A second later, he heard the small patter of footsteps downstairs, as well as the sound of Niall's voice calling out into the dim darkness of the house. Alvar and Calixto had already taken up their normal posts outside the bedroom, squarely in fairy-guard mode. Both fairy brothers tried their hardest not to react to what Niall was about to report, since they had both witnessed Pam's fit inside Eric's office.

'Viking, I know you can hear me. Your progeny wishes to remind you that you left your laptop device again, and that she wishes to deliver a small, one-word message!' the Prince said, his voice only slightly raised. The two guards steeled themselves for what was ahead.

'What is the word?' Eric asked from the bedroom, somewhat curious, already pulling the covers up around him and Sookie.

'Motherfucker!' Niall said with a laugh, in consonance with the two chuckling guards.

The Viking merely shook his head, draped his hand over his fairy queen and closed his eyes to wait for the dawn with a wide smile on his face. His last thought was one of smug confidence, happy in the knowledge that all was right in the world of a certain Eric Northman.

Same as Eric but dozens of miles away, Tyler Jennings put a spray bottle into his pocket, prepared for his meeting the next night.

A/N Again, sorry you guys. I can't resist a good party, and Albert threw it so very awesomely. Anyway, more plot twists in the next chapter, plus the giant drainer problem is harder to deal with than everyone thinks! Like in every other chapter in the story before this one, let me know what you think through a review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Hey guys, here we are with the new chapter. Before anything else, let me give out the consistent winner of the _Longest Review Award _for this story, which goes to _erin1705. _Thank you for that and you're amazing. As for other long reviewers, I'd like to give a shoutout to _Millarca666 _and of course, the ever epic _bannerdawn_! Thanks are also very due to every reviewer who has sent words of encouragement and praise. Love you all, guys. On to our story!

Chapter 3

The next day, Sookie was woken by insistent knocking on the door of her bedroom. She glanced groggily at the bedside clock which now read 1:09, a common waking time for her ever since she and Eric had intensified their relationship. Dim as it was because of the activated light-tight shutters, she still managed to wiggle out from under her vampire and answer her door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. As it was, the person in front of her gave her a small shock.

'Uncle Dermot? What are you doing here?'

'Father needed to go back to the Fae Realm, so I am back here in his stead as your trainer. But that is beside the point. Let us have lunch, my niece!' the half-fairy said with a smile.

'Oh, yeah, sure. Give me a few minutes and I'll be right out,' she replied nonchalantly, obviously worn out from a very long night with her Viking.

Dermot nodded and kissed her cheek, smiling at his niece before heading downstairs again. Once she was alone with Eric in the room, she gave her vampire a sweet kiss on the forehead accompanied by a whispered _I love you, _before she headed to the bathroom.

Soon busying herself with getting clean, she thought it best to take a quick fifteen-minute shower in order to liven up. After that, Sookie put on a loose green tee shirt, accentuated by casual shorts. Looking at her, one would never surmise that she was the bonded to a King and a princess in her own right. For all intents and purposes, Sookie Stackhouse looked like a Southern barmaid getting ready for a normal day.

_Fucking normal all right, _she thought, looking at herself in the mirror for a few more seconds before she headed out the door and was immediately greeted by Alvar.

'Good afternoon, my lady,' he said gently, bowing to her.

She immediately gave him a kind nod. 'Thanks, Alvar. Is Calixto downstairs?'

'Yes, Lady Sookie. He is tending to your lunch with the aid of your uncle. Of course, I am here to guard His Majesty once you go to eat.'

'Good, good. I'll see you later,' she said, smiling as she passed him on the way to the stairs, making the raven-haired warrior bow again before resuming his guard duty.

Sookie headed down to the main level of the house and stretched her arms quite a bit, enjoying the sensation of doing so. Once she made it to the archway leading to the dining area and kitchen, she was immediately met by Calixto, who bowed to her like his brother did. However, the brown-haired fairy had his special smile present for her as he straightened up again.

'Hey there, Calixto. You gonna eat?'

'I am honored by your concern, madam,' he said, making Sookie blush a bit as she acknowledged his warm greeting. He didn't say anything else, since Dermot's resonant voice called out from five meters away.

'Come now, my dove. I have prepared some potato soup and a chicken casserole for you. There is also coffee, a side salad and fresh bread, and then what would you like for dessert?'

_Is it okay if I say Eric? _'Uh, apple pie would be good, Uncle.'

'Very well!' he enthused, waving his hand in a sideways gesture. Soon enough, a steaming apple pie lay before Sookie, while Dermot bore a satisfied smile.

'Thanks, Uncle,' she said, before grabbing a plate and piling food on it. She added lots of greens, determined to stay healthier now that she was sure to face more things in the performance of her new duties as Eric's queen.

She also filled a small bowl with the appetizing soup which her uncle had prepared, while Calixto took his usual place behind her, his stance stiff and formal.

For his part, the half-fairy was quite content to simply watch his niece eat, occasionally asking her questions as she did so.

'How do you like your new station in life, my sweet Sookie?'

'I like it very much. I know I have a completely new set of duties and priorities, but as long as I have Eric with me, I'll be fine,' she answered, taking a bite of chicken and then a sip of her brew.

'The Viking is treating you well?' he asked, leaning back into his chair and running a hand through his golden hair.

'Yes he is, Uncle. Eric's a good provider; he's very affectionate with me and pretty understanding. We actually got into a fight with each other, but Grandpa was there to step in and help, so all's well that ends well, I suppose.' This time, Sookie took a spoonful of soup into her mouth, warmed by its hearty taste. She neglected to mention the mind-blowing sex, but her cheeks were tinged with red.

'Father told me all about that. You must not undermine the Norseman, my dove. Your first loyalty now is always to each other, and you must understand the scope of his duties as well as who he is as a man and a vampire. Do this and you will both end up better for it,' he said, deciding to now pour himself some juice. As usual, the drink itself was via fairy fast food.

_Oh, believe me, my niece. Father told me all about it. I really must teach you more about what rules of respect apply in the supernatural world, _the half-fairy's mind dictated.

'I know that. I'm trying to be more deferent to him when it comes to the politics and stuff, but I'm still pretty headstrong.'

'You would never be otherwise, little one. However, I delight to note that you are adjusting,' Dermot said, taking a long sip of his juice while Sookie did the same with her coffee.

'So Uncle, how _is _Grandpa anyway?'

'He is well. He came back to our realm to run the affairs of it again, so I am back here. In his absence, certain factions have begun to question his ability and motivations to rule, so he is trying to quash the rumors and prevent rebellion,' he said seriously.

_Holy shit, the Prince wasn't lying. He really did risk his own position to help us over in this realm. God, should I tell Uncle Dermot that Eric basically bit Niall and nearly drained him?_

'Uh, did he mention anything about Eric?' she said, cautious.

'If you are talking about how he was bitten by the Norseman, then yes. I can scarcely believe that one such as my father has been subdued like that, but then again, Eric Northman has always been known to surprise everyone with his abilities,' Dermot answered, shaking his head ruefully.

Calixto sighed, remembering the entire debacle. For his part, Sookie's uncle was being overcome by his rather morose thoughts.

_Even I have to admit that everyone has reason to fear the Viking. It pains me to admit this, but at least the admission has occurred here in my head, _the half-fairy thought, a sad look on his face.

'Yeah, well, Eric got pushed to his limits. Plus, Grandpa and I got into a small scuffle, so Eric was double pissed.' Sookie let out a huff before she took a bite of her chicken.

'I understand why your bonded did such a thing. I am angry of course, but there is nothing to be done about that now. Perhaps Father did need to be taken down a notch,' he declared.

'Okay, change of topic then. Did Grandpa tell you all about the plans? About Gregory and Pam's new positions, plus the Royal Residence and all that?'

'Yes, I am aware of everything. He informed me of your coronation and pledging, as well as everything else. Actually, I will be helping him with the conjuring for the Residence itself, since it will expend a huge amount of energy for something that large,' Dermot said.

Sookie nodded in understanding and momentarily focused on eating instead of conversation. Dermot was happy to take a verbal break as well, and Calixto began to look at Sookie.

'What is it, Calixto?' she said after a while.

'I was wondering if I might be able to eat now, my lady. I joined my brother this morning for training, but I have been remiss in feeding myself. Is this acceptable?'

'Of course it is! Don't ever ask permission from me for something like that. Whenever I'm eating, you should eat too if you want, okay?' Sookie shook her head, a little shocked that he would feel the need to ask for her permission just to eat with her.

'Come eat, Calixto. There is no threat to us, and you should ease up for a while. Sit down,' Dermot added.

The fairy guard sat down gratefully. 'Thank you, Lord Dermot, Lady Sookie. I will remember this new change of etiquette.'

'_Change of etiquette?_ Christ's sake, just eat,' Sookie said with a chuckle.

Before long, Sookie, Dermot and her guard had all begun to eat in earnest, interspersing their meal with companionable banter. There was no rush, and the three fairies were happily enjoying each other's company. After an hour and a half, all the food was finished and Calixto took care of the dishes once more.

The telepath suggested the living room as a change of venue, eager to show her uncle the progress she had made with her conjuring and teleportation.

'Is there something you wish to share with me, my niece?' Dermot asked.

Instead of replying, Sookie dematerialized and ended up behind him. The half-fairy turned quickly and gave her a gentle, approving smile.

'Well done! I am very pleased with your progress indeed. Show me your conjuring,' he prodded.

Sookie called Eric's sword to her, further impressing Dermot. 'Here it is. I conjured this sword for Eric. I was able to conjure a few dozen in the battle with Russell at the bar, so I've got a handle on it pretty well. Grandpa Niall also taught me how to call things to myself.'

'I can see that, my sweet. Is there anything else which my father has taught you?'

'He taught me to control my microwave fingers too. Sorry for the term, but I don't know what to call it.' Sookie laughed at herself. 'Anyway, I don't wanna show you anymore since I singed a curtain the last time I did that in a demonstration with Grandpa.'

'That is perfectly understandable. I am enormously proud of you!' Dermot enthused, before he stepped over to his niece and gave her an affectionate kiss on the lips.

_Apparently fairies are big on affectionate gestures. Can't believe he kissed me on the lips again!_

Reflecting her thoughts, Sookie had a surprised look on her face. For his part, the half-fairy was just giving her his million-dollar smile, while Calixto looked on passively. A few moments later, a thought popped into Sookie's head, so she led everyone to sit down. Once situated, she looked at her fairy uncle and spoke with a serious tone.

'What are we gonna do about Jason? He's pretty far from this, and I don't think he knows about me being Queen or anything, much less about being Fae.'

'We must endeavor to normalize our explanations and only do so when he asks directly. Otherwise, we must skirt around the issue. Your brother is a relatively unimportant entity in this entire situation, so bringing him into this will do us no good,' Dermot said.

'What do you mean, _relatively unimportant? _He's my brother, for crying out loud!' Sookie was indignant.

'My niece, he does not possess the essential spark, nor is he too interested in supernatural affairs. I see no reason for him to be involved, so he can continue on with his life. If ever he does want an explanation, we will deal with that as it comes,' the half-fairy said with a noncommittal shrug.

'But does he at least have some protection? A watcher from Grandpa or something?'

'Yes, my dear. Father has assigned a watcher to him, though the one assigned has been tasked only to interfere in the most dire circumstances.'

Satisfied by her uncle's answer, Sookie smiled and turned to a different topic of conversation.

'Uncle, can I visit Grandpa in the Fae Realm sometimes? I know how you just dematerialize and go there, so I wanted to ask if I could do that too.'

Dermot took a moment to think before he spoke. 'I think it's best if he comes here. If you were to go there, your bond with the Viking would not be in effect, and he would think you were dead since he cannot feel you. I don't think you'd want that for him.'

_Shit, I didn't think of that. Eric would go ballistic. _'Okay, thanks for reminding me.'

'I do believe your cousin Claude wants to see you as well, Sookie. Would you like for me to arrange a time for his visit? He can visit you right now, if that is your wish,' the half-fairy said.

'I _would_ like that. At least he can stay for an hour or something, and I'd like to see him too. I haven't thanked him yet for what he did to guide me and Granddaddy back here from the Fae Realm,' she said, smiling.

'Excellent. I will fetch him, and I will be back shortly. Calixto, prepare food for Claude's arrival,' Dermot said, before popping away.

Calixto did the same, immediately preparing soup and tenderloin, knowing that those had been Claude's favorites in their time together on the human plane. The fairy guard had been a protector to Niall's grandson quite a few times before, and the two had managed to strike up quite a solid friendship.

Sookie on the other hand, headed back upstairs and busied herself with dressing up a little more nicely for her second meeting with her cousin, as she wanted to make a good impression on him.

Over in the Fae Realm, Dermot immediately popped to his father's palace, knowing that his nephew would most likely be close by. He was greeted by everyone he passed, and luckily spotted his father's grandson leaning against a sturdy tree at the edge of the courtyard. Dispensing with walking, he immediately popped to Claude's side and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

'Hello, Uncle. I did not expect to see you so soon again! What brings you back here?' Claude said, giving Dermot a small smile.

'Sookie and I were talking about you. She is very much agreeable to the idea of you coming to see her, and in fact is waiting for you right now. Can you indulge us?'

'Of course, of course. Come,' he said, before grabbing his uncle's hand and dematerializing without another word. While technically he had never come to Sookie's house, Dermot's thoughts guided the teleportation.

Soon enough, the two fairies were standing in Sookie's living room, with Claude having exchanged his flowing white robes for a more understated dress shirt and jeans combination. As it were, he still looked extraordinarily handsome, with his dark black hair and startlingly clear, blue eyes.

The two of them expected Sookie, but were instead greeted by Calixto.

'Good afternoon, Lord Claude. Welcome once again to the human plane,' he said in a friendly tone, bowing afterwards.

Instead of acknowledging his bow, Niall's grandson merely gave the fairy guard a hug, smiling widely at seeing his old protector and friend.

'None of that, old boy. How are you?'

'I am well, thank you. As it is of course different here, I should tell you that it is nearly 3:20 in the afternoon, and that Lady Sookie is now done dressing. She will be along shortly,' he explained, his melodic voice having taken on a tempo akin to a lullaby.

Satisfied with Calixto's answer, Dermot and Claude sat down on the couch, waiting for Sookie's arrival. It took five minutes, but soon enough she was strolling towards them in lilac dress and equally elegant shoes. Claude stood up, momentarily entranced by his cousin's loveliness.

_My God, she is beautiful, _he thought, as he walked over to give her a kiss on the lips.

Sookie was no longer taken aback, having accepted the fact that her fairy relatives simply loved to be touchy-feely-kissy with her. She wrapped her arms around her cousin, giving him a return kiss on the cheek as she disentangled from him and sat down on an armchair.

'It's nice to see you again, my beautiful cousin,' Claude said by way of greeting.

'Well, at least this time, I'm not being chased by psychotic harvesting fairies. Progress eh?'

Claude laughed a bit. 'Indeed it is. And now, I am no longer in scary fairy mode, so I look substantially more appealing. I'm hot, aren't I?'

This time, Sookie let out her own laughter, nodding in agreement. Her cousin really _was_ very appealing; it was pointless to hide that fact. His eyes shone as he spoke, and his clear, strong voice lent itself to lovely enunciation.

'So, you like the house?'

'Very much. I am also very glad you were eager to invite me here, I must say I am touched, and of course I like being back here in your world.' Claude nodded, his face bearing a smile.

Sookie was about to say something in reply, before the strangest urge to go back to her bedroom overcame her. She imagined it was a fraction of what vampire children felt like when being called by their makers, noticing the subtle tug which was boiling in her blood.

_What on Earth? _Sookie's thoughts were reflecting her confusion, but she kept a neutral face.

'I'm really sorry. If you two gentlemen would kindly excuse me, I have something to check on, okay?' she said, politely excusing herself after her uncle and cousin said it was fine to leave.

Unable to resist, she bounded up the stairs back to her room, immediately greeted by a very awake, very playful Viking. Before she could resist or get a handle on the situation, he had already flashed to her and brought her back down onto the bed with him.

'Good afternoon, my lover,' he said, giving her a long kiss of greeting.

'Yep, good afternoon to you too, my handsome vampire,' she cooed, giving him a careful hug before disentangling herself. Eric immediately pulled her back. 'Uncle Dermot and my cousin are downstairs, sweetie. Let me go!'

'And if I don't want to?' Eric began to drape his naked body over hers, nuzzling and kissing her neck with a gleaming look of mischief in his eyes.

'Eric, come on. They're waiting, for God's sake. I just got this weird urge to head back here, that's why I did it. Now I really need to get back,' she said, struggling from under her amorous vampire.

The Norseman smiled. 'The urge was because I called you to me.'

'What?'

'I called you, like I can do with Pam. It's not something I plan to do often, but I can do it. It's a simple matter of tapping into the bond and exerting my influence over it,' he explained, his hands already raising the hem of her dress.

'You little sneak! Eric, we can do this later, I promise! Let me up, and get dressed. Come with me, you can greet them too,' Sookie said, her hands trying to keep his from snaking under her dress. The telepath knew that once he did that, there would be no turning back.

'I have no business greeting fairies, and I would much rather spend my afternoon ravishing you, but I will acquiesce. Sadly, I have no clothing here, so I will go down naked,' he joked.

A look of shock came over Sookie's face. 'No, you most certainly will not, buddy. I'll conjure clothes for you, so get out of bed!'

'Kiss me first.'

'Okay, but just one,' she reminded him, before placing a kiss to his lips. She was intending for it to be brief, but obviously he had other ideas.

_Stop struggling against me, my sweet. Let me kiss you properly and you will never want to leave me again, _he thought.

Whereas Sookie wanted it to be short and sweet, Eric obviously wanted hot and heavy. His hands were keeping her in place as he kissed her, their tongues making delicious contact every once in a while. By the end, the fairy telepath's lips were swollen with their passion, and Eric had a very noticeable hard-on displayed.

'Come on, you lusty Viking. Out of bed! And get yourself soft, goddamn it. Think of Bill, 'cause I sure as hell ain't letting you greet my relatives with a hard-on in your pants,' she admonished, quickly standing while he was somewhat distracted, and trying to smooth out her dress again.

'Yes, Mother,' he said, laughing loudly.

_Mother, huh? You got something wrong with you if you think I'll let that comment pass. We'll see how you fare later. _Sookie shook her head and put on a subtle grin.

Eventually, Eric did get out of bed (soft, mind you), slipping into dark-wash jeans and a black dress shirt, accompanied by his usual black boots. With such an outfit on, Sookie couldn't help but admire her Viking and wonder how she'd gotten so lucky.

'Come now, lover. Let us greet your family,' he said, linking her arms with his and heading out the door. Since no one was now in the bedroom, Alvar trailed after them, taking up position beside his brother.

Once the three were in the living room, Dermot went into a panic. 'Niece, how on Earth is the Viking awake?' He began to stand and back away, having never seen a vampire awake at that hour.

'The Prince says it is a consequence of our bond, so we will believe him. Now sit down, fairy,' Eric said, taking his place on Sookie's vacated armchair and setting her on his lap.

_Oh, I can see the fear in your eyes, Dermot Brigant. You didn't expect this, did you? _Eric now had a wide smirk on his face.

However tensioned Dermot was, his stress was nowhere near Claude's. Sookie's cousin was visibly agitated, leaning heavily against the back of the sofa, staring at Eric with wary eyes. Seated before him was the very vampire who had killed his sister, subdued his grandfather and was now bonded to his cousin. Cautious, he waited for Sookie to speak.

'Sorry for disappearing earlier, you two. Claude, I'd like you to meet Eric,' she said, getting off of her vampire's lap and making the two men stand up, while Dermot remained seated.

Obviously, Eric had no desire to be outwardly friendly and only gave Claude a curt nod. He had no inclination towards trusting fairies, with the exception of his bonded. As for Niall's grandson, the feelings of mistrust were mutual, accentuated by a heavy dosage of fear and hatred.

_Fucking murderer, _he thought, giving Eric a level glare.

'I cannot say I am pleased to meet you, vampire. You killed my sister!' he accused.

The Viking stood firm and unmoving. 'She tried to take your cousin. I couldn't very well have that, could I now? So yes, I did kill her.'

'Eric, Claude, please. There should be no conflict now, let things pass between you,' Dermot said, placating the two men and providing the voice of reason. Sookie already had her hand on her Nordic vampire's arm, using her physical presence to soothe him.

With that, Eric sat back down and beckoned to Sookie by patting his lap. 'Come sit on my lap, lover, and let us continue our talk.'

Before Sookie could do so, Calixto piped in to help diffuse the mounting tension.

'May I suggest we all retire to the dining room and continue there? Lord Claude, I have prepared your favorites for you today.'

Dermot nodded, pleased with the guard's suggestion. On the other hand, the Viking saw it as another way to surprise Sookie's uncle and cousin with his newly-acquired skills. As per Calixto's invitation, the group headed over to the dining room.

Eric chose to forgo sitting at the head of the table, in favor of sitting next to Sookie. Claude and Dermot occupied the seats across from them, while the head seat was left empty. As usual, Alvar and Calixto took their places behind their mistress.

'Go eat, nephew,' the half-fairy said, patting Claude's shoulder.

_Go on and eat, because I cannot have you antagonizing the Viking like this, _Dermot added mentally, pleased to see Claude serve himself some soup with a slice of the beef tenderloin which Calixto had prepared.

There was also an assortment of berries present on the table, as well as a rather huge chocolate cake. The ever present pitcher of juice (apple again, this time) also made an appearance. Seeing the berries, Sookie blushed but got an interesting idea.

The fairy telepath stood and excused herself, much to Eric's consternation and annoyance. She pulled Calixto aside, and led him to the living room. Tapping her ear to indicate the need for silence, Sookie began to explain what she wanted to do.

_God, Eric will love this if this works, _she thought hopefully.

'Excuse me, my lady, but you want to _what_?'

'I just want to see if I can make my blood appear in this glass,' she said, pointing at the small goblet she'd quickly conjured. 'You know, maybe there's some kind of magic that can do that without me having to cut myself.'

The brown-haired fairy guard was shocked for obvious reasons, but he nodded to indicate assent.

'That can indeed be done, Lady Sookie. It is a matter of transference, the conscious will to convey your very essence into this cup. It is like conjuring, but you will of course feel the blood draining as this glass fills.'

'Great!' she said enthusiastically, holding the goblet in her hands. Calixto put a hand on her shoulder to add power, knowing that essential transference was something which required a huge amount of energy.

Sookie closed her eyes and began to think of filling the glass, feeling the power in her responding to her request. After a moment of intense concentration, the red liquid of her blood began to well in the clear container, while she began to have the sensation of being drank from.

'It's full now, my lady,' Calixto said.

True to his word, the medium-sized glass was now filled with her blood, the consistency akin to smooth chocolate fudge. As soon as she had thought of _fudge_, another idea filled her head.

'Can we disguise this as chocolate?' _Eric will have a hoot dipping the berries into this. _

'Let me do that. You have already expended quite a lot of energy,' he said, waving his hand over the glass and making the red turn into a rich shade of brown, also masking the smell.

Happy with the success of her plans, Sookie thanked her fairy guard for his help and trooped back into the dining room, glass in hand. Calixto merely followed with a gentle shake of his head, taking up his usual place behind her once she was seated.

'You retrieved chocolate, my sweetling?' Eric inquired, looking at his fairy bonded with curious blue eyes.

Sookie nodded and smiled. 'Go on and dip the berries then, you'll go nuts.'

Excited by her little surprise, the Viking reached for a raspberry from the bowl, dipping most of the fruit in the supposed _chocolate. _As soon as he popped it into his mouth, his pupils dilated with pleasure and he let out a moan of satisfaction, his fangs dropping down immediately.

_It's her blood. Her sweet, luscious, intoxicating blood! Gods, thank you for giving me a perfect gift like her. I am forever grateful, _he thought happily.

'You like?' the telepath asked, a coy grin on her face.

'Mmm, yes I do, my clever love,' he said, giving her a passionate kiss of gratitude.

Oblivious to what was passing between their fairy relative and her vampire, Dermot and Claude bore looks of shock at seeing Eric eat with such happy normalcy.

'He can eat?' the half-fairy asked.

'Obviously he can, Uncle. It's another little result of our bond,' Sookie answered, backed up by Eric's nod of assent. Dermot filed the information in his mind, taking a sip of juice.

Claude paid it all no attention, still looking a bit wary of Eric as he took a bite of his tenderloin. As for the Nordic vampire, he was happily dipping berries into his 'chocolate' and rapidly popping them into his mouth, one after the other.

'Sweets are bad for thousand-year old Vikings,' Sookie teased, smiling at the playful happiness on Eric's face.

He popped a raspberry in his mouth again, giving her a wet kiss afterwards. 'I love sweet things, my Sookie. And this chocolate you've given me, is absolutely irresistible,' he said, smiling widely at her.

'May I have some?' Dermot asked.

Eric immediately growled, his vampiric possessiveness making a grand show of itself. 'No, you cannot have any.'

'For goodness' sake, vampire. It's only chocolate,' the half-fairy said, shaking his head. Claude scoffed at the entire display, which prompted Calixto to explain things via mental message.

_It is not just chocolate, Lord Dermot. Believe me, you would not like the taste of that particular confection which the king is enjoying. _

_What is it then?_

_Blood. Her blood. _

_That's disgusting!_

_She wanted to surprise him, my lord. After all, he is a vampire._

Dermot's face was completely neutral during his brief exchange with the fairy guard, but he was reeling on the inside.

'On second thought, I will leave you to enjoy your meal, Northman,' the half-fairy said, backing off from the entire issue of the fake chocolate and making Eric smile triumphantly.

_Thank God he didn't push the issue, _Sookie thought, sighing in relief and putting a slice of chocolate cake on her plate.

'Lover, I would like to remind you of the meeting we have later with Mr. Jennings, concerning the land we are buying in New Orleans,' the Viking said, watching her begin to eat.

'Yeah, I remember. What time is it?' Sookie glanced at Claude, who was sipping juice, before she looked at Eric to await his answer. She was unaware of how much her cousin was seething on the inside, despite the fact that he was projecting a neutral aura.

'Eight in the evening tonight,' he answered, taking a full gulp of the choco-blood in his glass and making Sookie's cousin grimace while watching.

_He's so peculiar. Why on Earth is he drinking chocolate? Why am I even being curious about this murderer? _Claude thought, now chewing delicately on the last tender slice of meat which he had on his plate. Afterwards, he took another sip of juice to clean his palate, looking at his cousin put a small chunk of cake in her mouth.

'How is your bar, by the way? Father informs me it was heavily damaged during the battle with Russell Edgington,' Dermot piped in, looking at the Viking.

'Undergoing reconstruction as of the moment. The workers are making good progress,' Eric answered with a proud nod.

'Calixto, Alvar, Sookie and I could assist in the repairs. If you permit the four of us to help, the reconstruction will be done by tonight, though I expect it will need a great amount of energy,' Dermot said in offering.

'How soon can this be done?'

'If we leave here at six and teleport there, the reconstruction will be done by the time of your meeting with this Jennings fellow,' the half-fairy explained.

'Excellent, we will do so,' Eric said with a nod, taking a small slice of cake and dipping a chunk of it in his glass, before putting it into his mouth. As he chewed on the moist confection, the same satisfied look came onto his face again.

Meanwhile, watching the exchanges between his uncle and the vampire, Claude began to take on a curiously wary countenance. Unknowingly, he had begun to stare at Sookie quite a bit as well, so she put down her fork and spoke.

'Is there something bothering you, Claude?'

'Sookie, I'd like to talk with you a bit before I go. Can we go to the living room?' he answered, already standing up. The telepath nodded, heading out to the living room after an affectionate pat on her bonded's arm.

Once there, she sat beside her cousin on the couch.

'How can you live with him, knowing what he's done to a member of our family, Sookie?'

'Claude, I love Eric. He did kill Claudine because she was trying to take me to live with you guys, and I didn't want to. He must've heard and saw her as a threat. I never wanted that to happen, but we all have to move on,' she said gently, a hand on his arm.

'But Claudine is part of your family, and a Brigant's first loyalty is _always_ to family, cousin. He killed my sister!'

'If she hadn't come, he wouldn't have done it. He never intended to do what he did. Look, Claudine wouldn't want this happening to us. Like you said, we're family, but if I have to choose, my first choice will always be him,' Sookie explained.

_How on Earth has she been corrupted so resolutely? Can she not see that a member of her family has been killed by the very vampire she's consorting with? Unbelievable!_

'Grandfather will never forgive this. As Prince, he will seek retribution for what the Norseman has done. I cannot believe you are taking his side! The Prince will not be happy, and this is not something he will let pass,' Claude said threateningly.

Tears were beginning to sting Sookie's eyes as she stood, intending to walk away. She had never seen Claude look like this, so she was both shocked and fearful. Less than seven seconds passed before Eric was already by her side, wrapping his arms around her.

'Father has already let it pass, nephew. You will stand down, and respect the Prince's wishes, or I will deal with you myself,' Dermot said suddenly, having dematerialized from the dining room as soon as he heard the argument breaking out between his nephew and niece. Calixto and Alvar were also present and standing behind Sookie, trying to gauge whether to interfere at some point.

'Uncle, please. Will you take the side of the vampire and forget what he has done to Claudine? What has happened to you?' the telepath's cousin said, before he was cut off by an enormously irate Viking.

Eric's blue eyes were on fire, and he filled each word with the utmost venom. 'Stop talking fairy, or I will remove your tongue myself. How dare you _fucking_ antagonize my bonded in _our_ home, after she welcomed you here with the best of intentions? I will _never_ see you again in this realm, or I will hunt you down, you understand me?'

'How dare you threaten a grandson of Niall Brigant!' Claude said, no longer able to see reason. He had dearly loved his sister, and was immensely devastated by her death. Seeing the vampire who had killed her finally pushed him over the edge.

_This is the last straw. This idiot will not live, _Eric thought angrily.

In the next moment, the Viking began to let his rage fill him. Sookie nearly buckled under the strength of her bonded's vampire emotions, needing to hold onto her uncle, who was standing beside her protectively.

Eric's fangs were down, and his eyes were positively burning as he spat out his next words. 'You think I fear your grandfather, you fucking imbecile?'

He lunged at Claude and lifted him into the air, holding his throat in a crushing grip. The dark magic animating Eric drowned out his own fairy energy, leaving Claude defenseless.

Eric was outraged, looking murderously upwards at the struggling fairy in his hold.

'_I_ sank my fangs into his neck, loving how his blood gushed into my waiting mouth. _I_ was the one who mangled his throat under my boot! You think I fear him? Well, you thought _wrong_. Look at me, so you can see the vampire who'll kill you,' the Viking said venomously.

'Your Majesty, please. I am interceding for Claude in my father's stead. You don't have to kill him, he can be dealt with appropriately in our own realm,' Dermot pleaded, reverting to the formality of Eric's title.

'Quiet!' the Nordic vampire said, leveling Dermot with a look that said _don't you dare interfere or I'll kill you too. _Eric increased the force of his hold, feeling Claude's throat begin to give way, the color draining from his face.

Sookie was fighting not to sob despite her emotionally overloaded state. She could clearly see that Eric was planning to kill Claude, and decided to intervene. The survivalist side of her wanted him to die, but in the end, the humanity of her heart won out and she placed a restraining hand on his free arm.

'Eric, don't do this. He doesn't need to die. He was just angry 'cause of Claudine, and you know how grief affects people, right? Let him go, please do it for me,' she said soothingly.

As soon as she had said so, a multitude of things happened. For one, she began to flood the bond with feelings of gentleness and love, turning Eric from outraged into complacent. Claude himself saw the slow draining of the Viking's anger, which sent him into internal turmoil.

He was expecting to die, fully awaiting the worst, and then he suddenly had the sensation of being put down on the ground again. To the fairy grandson of Niall Brigant, it was a disconcerting feeling, and his thoughts certainly reflected that.

_How do I deal with this now? It would have been easier if he killed me. At least then, it would not provoke such conflict in me, and I would not feel this measure of guilt at my accusations against him. I can see his mercy, and his love for my cousin. This is unbelievable._

'As you can see, despite how you've provoked me, I am willing to show you how lenient I can be. You need to understand however, that I hate you and that I am only doing this because your cousin wants me to. I would rather kill you, but I won't,' Eric spat out. Claude massaged his neck and nodded gratefully.

The Viking immediately turned to face his bonded, finding calm in the sanctuary of her embrace.

'Thank you, Eric,' she said, giving him a brief kiss.

He shook his head and chuckled. 'Oh I can never resist you, but I love you, my headstrong little sweetheart. Now give your Viking another kiss, and make it longer this time!' He puckered his lips a bit, making Sookie giggle at the humor of it.

Eric immediately cradled her face in his hands, melding his own mouth with hers, delighted by the way her soft lips gave way to his own. Despite his earlier anger, the Viking was now quite playful, giving her neck little nips and bites.

Sookie began to laugh, trying to push him away to no avail. Luckily, before it could get any more heated, Dermot stepped in and put a hand on Eric's shoulder from behind. The vampire king was obviously not happy with the interruption.

'What?'

Instead of quickly replying, Dermot grabbed Eric's right hand, and kissed his ring in a gesture of deference. For a moment, everyone in the room was shocked by the move. The usually proud fairy had never been one to debase himself.

'Thank you for your kindness. I am aware that you were within your rights to kill him since he provoked you in your own territory, but I am glad that you did otherwise as proof of your magnanimity,' he said with a nod.

_Well I certainly didn't expect to see that, _the telepath's mind dictated.

'I expect appropriate reparation, and your assurance that he _will_ be punished. If you cannot do that for me, I will exact the payment for his offense, and that payment is no less than death.'

Dermot nodded gravely. 'You have my word he will be punished for this. I extend to you my father's thanks in his behalf.'

Eric acknowledged it with a nod of his own, still holding Sookie's hand as she stood beside him. 'Get him out of here right now. If I see his face one second longer, I'll fucking break it.'

'Claude, go. Alvar, accompany him and tell Father everything. I expect you to watch his punishment and report it to us when you come back,' the half-fairy commanded, dismissing Alvar and his nephew, both fairies disappearing after a moment.

_Oh, and everything started so well! Claude never could control his temper, especially around vampires. Father will not be happy, he obviously favors Sookie above many of his other descendants, _Dermot mused.

Sookie's fairy uncle delicately shook his head, before leading everyone back into the dining room. Upon their return, Calixto walked up behind his mistress and whispered an apology, which she easily accepted.

'Well that was a mood-breaker,' Sookie joked, having caught on to her Viking's rapidly improving emotional state. Said improvement was also aided by a quick gulp of the remaining blood-slash-fake-chocolate in his glass.

'Ah, well. Niece, I think it is best if we rest for the remainder of this afternoon. I myself am quite tired. Going between the realms takes an enormous amount of energy,' Dermot said.

Sookie nodded, while Eric gave a dismissive wave of his hand. Now alone with Calixto and her vampire, the telepath was preoccupied with making sure that all traces of Eric's bad mood would end up forgotten.

With that in mind, she told her guard to stay inside the house, assuring him that no one could better care for her than her Viking. The couple headed out of the house, towards a sprawling tree in Sookie's backyard.

Previously, the outside of the house had grown rather dirty and unkempt, but was now elegant thanks to the fairy modifications that had been wrought on it. The lawn was immaculate, and the trees were of a good height, with just enough foliage to provide nice shade. As for the flowers, they served to provide a lovely olfactory environment.

'Come sit beside me, Eric,' Sookie cooed, patting the soft grass and leaning against the trunk with her legs stretched out in front of her. The Nordic vampire smirked, as he clearly had other ideas.

Instead of sitting beside her, he laid down with his head in her lap, looking up at her while her hair fanned around him.

'Now this is a good end to a stressful episode,' he said, bearing a satisfied smile on his perfect face. Looking down at him, a tear unconsciously escaped from her left eye, overcome by the gentleness and affection between them.

_I better enjoy this. Once we get to New Orleans, everything will mostly be about work, no time for perfect little moments like this one, _she thought sadly.

'Is something wrong, lover?'

'No, I was just thinking. We'll never have moments like this once we get into our work groove, since most of our time will be about running Louisiana and Mississippi. I'll miss this,' she admitted.

He reached up a hand to stroke her cheek, before he grabbed both her hands and gave each one a brief, sweet kiss. 'Of course we will still have moments like this, Sookie. We have the afternoons, don't we? I promise you my love, there will be so many more times like this ahead.'

'I hate how you always say the perfect things. Even when we were still kinda enemies, you always said the most intriguing things in that velvety voice of yours. I hate you,' she said, a pout on her face as she stroked his hair.

'Mmm. I love you, sweetheart,' he cooed, getting up and rearranging them so that he was now behind her, while she was seated between his legs. 'You know, you are so disrespectful to me. I've spoiled you rotten with my affection, and you say you hate me. I'm hurt, but I still end up loving you.'

'See, there you go again! With your perfect declarations and surely that special twinkle in your eyes. I really hate you, Eric Northman!' she said, holding onto his arms, which were wrapped around her. She took in a long breath, undeniably blown away by the amazing combination of her surroundings, as well as the sensation of being enveloped by her Eric blanket.

'I have a penchant for perfection, Sookie Stackhouse. Would you have wanted me differently?' he said, his words slightly muffled since he said them against her hair.

'Nope. You happen to be great as you are. You're hot and playful, vicious but affectionate, conniving but protective. You're a thousand-year old walking contradiction, but you're amazing,' she answered, lazily stroking his arms.

'Hey now, don't forget that I'm filthy rich. Oh! And there's also the mind-blowing, irreplaceably unforgettable sex,' he added, nuzzling her hair.

Sookie began to blush and giggle slightly. As payback, she decided to go tease him. 'Yes, there's also that. Plus, who knew that you were so big on cuddling? I mean, look at us! You're practically my Viking snuggle-buddy.'

'Only for you, lover,' he said with a smile. The telepath on the other hand, groaned in defeat.

'Ah, damn it. There you go with your romantic little _only for you _line. How am I supposed to continue teasing you when you're so damn perfect?'

Eric laughed from behind her, the throaty sound reverberating through them both because of the close contact. 'You see, lover, perfection is spelled as Eric Northman.'

The fairy telepath huffed, swatting his arm playfully. 'You're so arrogant. How did I ever fall in love with such an incredibly arrogant man?'

'Oh, but you love my arrogance. In fact, I'm sure you find it sexy. Isn't that right, dearest?'

Sookie sighed in defeat again. 'Fine, I admit it. Though I'm sure others don't think so, that arrogance of yours is endearing to me. Gosh, what am I saying?' she said, chuckling as she leaned backwards into him.

'Admit it, Sookie. I'm irresistible.'

'Hate you!'

'Uh-huh, continue to delude yourself. You know you love me.' Eric was laughing quite a bit by this point.

'God, fine! I admit it, I love you, Eric.' she said, grabbing his arms and wrapping them around her a bit more, before she let out a small yawn.

'That's good, because I love you too,' he whispered, giving her hair another little kiss.

Before long, the Viking and his telepath drifted off under the shade of the tree, slightly illuminated by the fading Louisiana sun.

A/N Okay, here we are at the end, you guys. Originally the meeting was supposed to be in this chapter, but this felt like a good stop point. Of course, the next chapter will get some hostility from stupid old Mr. Jennings, plus we get to see a side of Niall which we've never really seen before. Here's a hint, he doesn't like it when his descendants embarrass him with rash action.

As for Claude, he loves Sookie. The only problem is, he suddenly got confronted with Eric's presence, so the emotional baggage of Claudine's death really got to him. However, the cousins will work it out, I assure you.

With that said, drop a review and let me know what you think. Feel free to ask any questions, and I'll address them in Chapter Four. See you all in the next part of the story!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N So, as per my old ethos with Bound, here I am with another new chapter for this story. Before anything else, let me give my thanks to everyone who sent in a review. All of them provided a lot of encouragement, and it's my way to tune in on how you guys see this story panning out. Thanks for the feedback.

Secondly, let's address a question which was sent through PM to me. I'll address that and the rest will see their answers in the story itself. I suggest you guys read the answer, since that will clear up how I write this story, and what my viewpoints are. If not, you can always skip the note and just head on to the chapter. Believe me, I skip notes a lot too.

_How do you see Eric and Sookie as characters?_

Well, Eric to me is a man of layers. On the very outer layer, you have the thousand-year old vampire, who is really a master at undermining his own emotions and reactions to people or events. This is the Eric of the first season in the show. Underneath that is the man we see in the second, third and fourth seasons. For one, Season Two showed Eric to be capable of love and great loyalty, while Season Three showcased him as someone determined to avenge the honor of his family. Therefore, Season Three was about his sense of honor and justice. Remember his line to Sookie on the porch? _Now they're coming for you and I owe you. _See? He's willing to go through on the things he owes to people. He owed vengeance to his family, and he came through on that, albeit a thousand years later. Season Four was about his vulnerability, his gentleness. Basically, who he perhaps would've been had he not turned into a vampire. He's still protective and somewhat ruthless, but he's also capable of a very affectionate, powerful sort of love.

Sookie to me is human. That's the very core of it. She exhibits all the human attributes, as well as humanity's strengths and failings. She's very reactive like many other people, but can also be deliberative when the need arises. She has her tendency to not think things through when emotions are in the mix, but she comes through in the end. She's protective and loving of her family, and stops at nothing for the ones she loves. She likes her independence like the modern woman of today, but also feels the need to be taken care of sometimes. Like Eric, you can see that she also has her layers. You have Sookie the survivalist (killed Lorena, shot Debbie, shot the werewolf in her house, wanted Russell dead), as well as Sookie the sweetheart (loves Eric, once loved Bill, willing to forgive the faults of others, loves her family).

So there. That's who they are to me.

Chapter 4

Over in the Fae Realm, Alvar now stood by the door of Niall's private study, dutifully watching the exchange between the Prince and his errant grandson. The fairy guard had been the first to talk to the Prince, explaining everything that transpired between Sookie, Claude, Dermot and Eric. Once he was done, he fetched his Prince's grandson, led him over to a chair, and then returned to his post by the door to observe.

'Grandfather, please talk to me,' Claude pleaded, looking at his unmoving, seated elder.

Niall's eyes went from a calm sort of blue to very stormy in the space of a second. 'Do not address me by that term. How dare you be _so rash_ as to confront the Viking, and hurt your cousin in the process? A _true_ grandson of mine would have never done such a thing.'

'I never meant to hurt Sookie, you know I love her. Seeing her vampire was just too much, since I expected I would never have to see him that afternoon. It was daytime anyway!'

'Is that so, Claude? You see, the worst problem with you is that you operate on expectation too much. If reality strays from your expectations, you lose your sense of control. I _don't care_ if you didn't expect to see him! You should have still controlled yourself when you did! I cannot believe you provoked _Eric Northman_ of all vampires, in his own territory, no less,' Niall said disappointedly, shaking his head.

'Will you not even be concerned for my wellbeing, Prince? The Norseman nearly _killed_ me,' Claude said, his tone very solemn.

Instead of feeling sympathy, Niall scoffed. 'You expect me to feel concern now? He had every right to kill you. You expect me to feel concern when you were the one who _provoked_ him, hurt his _bonded_ and asked him how he _dared_ confront you? Alvar told me you even flaunted the fact that I was your grandfather. You are unbelievable.

'But it was his…' Claude began to say, until he was cut off by Niall's cold voice.

'Silence! I am thinking of an appropriate punishment for you,' he spat out.

Alvar was looking on fearfully. As part of Niall's personal guard regiment, he had often been witness to the Prince's sentencing habits. If there was ever anyone who had bad punishments, it would have to be Prince Niall. The fairy guard began to pity Claude, fully knowing that whatever punishment awaited him, it would be one he would never forget. He heard Niall's grandson let out an audible sigh and waited for whatever he planned to say.

'Grandfather, I beg you to be lenient with me. I did not mean to do as I did, I promise you. I will make amends with the Viking and my cousin,' Claude said.

'You have often done these sorts of things with vampires before. In the past, I have sought only to counsel and correct your errant behavior. But now, rehabilitation is too gentle a method. This time, it is punishment you need to face,' the Prince said, his voice seemingly resonating throughout the spacious room.

Claude took a long breath to steel himself for what he knew was inevitable. Unexpectedly, Niall stood and opened his arms widely, bearing a smile on his face. He looked as if he was meaning to hug his grandson, ready to forgive the transgression. Claude smiled and went over to his grandfather. As soon as the two males made contact, it was the beginning of the end. Alvar shuddered at the fearful occurrence taking place in front of him. It was a dreadful sight to behold.

In sharp contrast however the events of the human plane were remarkably more positive than the ones of the Fae Realm. Dermot had only just woken from his small nap, and immediately began to look for his niece. The half-fairy spotted Calixto out in the yard, doing landscape maintenance with his powers. The fairy guard saw him as well, and quickly pointed to one of the trees on the property. Sure enough, Dermot could make out the figures of the couple, so he headed over.

To the centuries-old, battle-hardened half-fairy son of Niall Brigant, what he saw next nearly made tears come to his eyes. He memorized what he saw, intending to use it as a gift for his niece in the near future.

Sookie was leaning back against Eric, securely wrapped in his protective embrace. Both of them had identical looks of peaceful repose, their faces reflecting simple, serene happiness at being together even in rest. His niece was breathing in and out with a slow, steady rhythm, while the Viking was leaning casually against the tree with his eyes closed.

Dermot took a few more moments to admire the scene before him, but eventually, he knelt down and tapped his niece's shoulder. Instead of waking _her _up, it had the opposite effect. It was Eric who opened his eyes with a start.

'What is it, fairy?'

'It is already five-thirty, Viking. You must both prepare if we are to get to the bar in time.'

Hearing her uncle and her vampire talking, Sookie too opened her eyes lethargically.

'Best nap ever,' she said slowly, untangling Eric's arms from around her and stretching a bit. Hearing her happy admission, the Norseman gave her a sweet kiss of greeting.

'Hello, my little sweetheart,' he whispered, his voice akin to her own.

'Mmm, hello Eric. Uncle Dermot, what time is it?'

'Thirty minutes to six in the evening, my darling niece. Come now, you and your Viking must prepare. Remember, there is a bar to reconstruct,' the half-fairy answered, extending his hand to help her get up.

Sookie took her uncle's hand gratefully and pulled herself up to a standing position. Eric followed suit behind her and the three walked back to the house. Once inside, Dermot immediately headed to the dining room to prepare a quick snack for his niece, while the vampire king and his bonded headed back to their bedroom to prepare.

Closing the door behind him, Eric began to eye Sookie hungrily, utterly insatiable in his lust.

'I know that look. Get that look off your face, Eric,' the telepathic fairy warned, quickly turning and heading to the bathroom before he could make any more overtures. The Viking chased after her, cornering his lover against the cool tile of the bathroom wall.

The telepath began to strip, trying to put as much distance as possible between her and her amorous vampire. As it was, Eric was already beginning to run his hands over the expanse of her smooth skin, which was slowly being bared for him.

'You naughty fairy. Do you know what vampires do to naughty little fairies, my love?'

His voice sent a shiver through Sookie, who at this point had decided to put all her effort into resisting his advances.

'I don't know, Eric. So please, just take off your soaked clothes and take a shower. If you don't mind, I'm going to clean myself now,' she said, grabbing the soap from its little niche and running it under the showerhead. She hoped with everything she had that her voice had sounded nonchalant and unaffected.

She moved over to let Eric remove his clothes and wet himself fully, unable to resist a few longing stares at his now-naked perfection.

As determined as she was to keep the shower innocent, it was quite an effort to do so, especially with the way the water cascaded over his lithe body.

For the Viking's part, he merely reached over for the shampoo, pouring some into his hand. Before long, his head was covered in a foamy lather, while Sookie's body was covered in suds from her neck downwards. Both of them tried to keep out from under the spray as they got themselves clean.

'Lover, you're coating this entire bathroom with the scent of your arousal. Please, just take a shower,' he teased, massaging his scalp with his fingers, while a smirk overtook his face. Smirking as he was, he was feeling more desire with each passing second.

'Whatever. Hand me that shampoo,' she said, holding her hand out for the bottle. Instead of giving it to her, Eric grabbed the bottle and flashed to stand behind her.

He poured some on his hand again, softly working the substance into her locks. He carelessly closed the cap, letting the bottle drop to the floor.

'What on Earth are you doing, Eric?'

'Quiet now, my sweetling. I am washing your hair for you,' he answered, beginning to massage her hair in a sinfully amazing way. Of course the position itself was not without benefits, so he pressed his hardness into her soft backside, trying to suppress a groan while showing her his arousal at the same time.

Sookie tried to distract herself by scrubbing her arms, making little movements as she did so. Suddenly, she felt her bonded stop his motion from behind her. 'You okay?'

'Dear one, _please_ stop your wriggling. Just stop scrubbing yourself for a moment while I try to finish with your hair, otherwise I cannot be held accountable for what I may do to you,' he explained, trying his best to tamp down on the lust he was feeling. As it was, his voice was a testament to the amount of control he was trying to exert over his urges.

As for Sookie, his needy, gruff voice was beginning to erode her own commitment to bathing innocence. She could clearly feel the raging lust within the bond, as well as his prominent erection pressed up behind her. Even she was already feeling massive desire.

'Eric…' she said in a whisper, still trying to resist.

He leaned into her ear, verbalizing his request as his hands snaked down to wrap around her waist. 'Please, my love. Let me have you, you know I can't resist.' He was already beginning to nuzzle her neck, pulling her with him under the strong spray to rid her skin of soap as well as to clear the lather from both their heads.

Sookie disengaged from his hold and turned to face him, grabbing the soap again to turn her thoughts into a more non-sexual direction. 'Eric, we'll be late! Clean the rest of yourself first. Go on now,' she commanded.

'Fuck cleaning myself. I need you now,' he bit out, turning her once more to place kisses on her shoulders and back, before impaling himself into her wet core from behind.

'Ah, shit! God, Eric…' she said in a strangled whisper, before her voice dissolved into a moan when he began to move in and out of her, building up speed as time passed.

The wet slapping of their bodies was like music to Eric's ears, the symphony of their joining enhanced by his rather constant grunts of pleasure. Sookie murmured the occasional _yes _or a chorus of expletives as well.

'Fuck, lover. Sookie, it feels so good to be inside you!' he yelled, still holding on to her hips tightly as he slammed over and over into her.

'Eric faster, please,' she pleaded, feeling the pleasurable coil in her lower abdomen wind itself even tighter.

'Anything for you, my sweet,' he said, speeding up a tad more, just a little shy of his supernatural speed. The increased pace was making him lose his head in pleasure, while she began to heighten the pitch of her loud cries.

They continued their pleasurable union, spiced with constant caresses or Eric's occasional fisting of his hand into her hair. With each ticking second, they careened ever closer to the release they both craved desperately.

Sookie was beginning to descend into incoherence, but was able to command him with at least one breathy sentence. 'Bite me. Eric, do it!'

Ever obedient to her desires, the Viking increased the force of his thrusts, letting his more powerful movements bring her to the very edge. Before she could tumble over the precipice of her climax, he pulled her closer to change the angle, and then he sank his fangs into her neck.

Sookie came with a loud scream, bringing Eric over with her as the intoxicating blood rushed into his mouth. He withdrew his fangs after two gulps, roaring in completion and gripping her body a little tighter, before he sank them in again for one more gulp of her sweet essence.

Finally spent, the Nordic vampire retracted his fangs and pulled out, taking in unnecessary breaths, just as his lover was doing. He continued to kiss her bare skin as they both came down from their orgasmic high, happily inhaling the combined scent of her natural fragrance, as well as the sweet smell of freshly-washed soap.

The telepath had a lazy smile on her face as she looked at her bonded, panting slightly as she spoke to him. 'Oy, you. Soap yourself up and finish your shower while I get out of here and finally get dressed.'

'Will you not wash me, my lover?' he said innocently, akin to the tone of a little boy wanting to be spoiled by his mother.

'Shut up. I need to get dressed, and we both know that's not gonna happen if we keep ourselves naked and near each other. I'm serious. Get clean!'

'But I'm so dirty that I think I need help getting clean,' he said provocatively, his velvet voice already lowered in its pitch.

'Whatever, Eric Northman. I don't even know why I always get roped into sex with you every time we shower. You can clean yourself up,' she chided, before she gave her vampire a smile and headed out of the bathroom.

Eric shook his head sadly and grabbed the soap, proceeding to scrub himself thoroughly. Faced with the lack of Sookie's physical presence, he satisfied himself with inhaling her lingering scent.

Eventually though, he stepped out of the shower, smelling fresh and very appealing. By that time, Sookie was already in an elegant but simple red dress, accentuated by an understated necklace and three-inch heels.

'You look beautiful, love,' he said, drying his hair with a towel, while another one was wrapped around his waist.

Sookie leered in a gesture similar to Eric. 'And you, you look naked. Get dressed, you crazy vampire!'

'Well then conjure my clothes. I'd like a suit, my little fairy tailor. Black dress shirt, then slacks. No tie please, and then of course, leather shoes.'

The telepath nodded and closed her eyes to increase her focus. Visualizing everything he'd asked for, she summoned her power and let it do its work. Moments later, the requested clothes were folded in piles on the bed.

'Thank you,' he said, before picking up the piles individually and getting himself clothed. Afterwards, he picked up a brush and straightened out his short, soft hair.

Unable to resist the gentle domesticity between her and Eric, Sookie snuck forward to give him a hug from behind, pressing a kiss to the fabric covering his muscled back.

'I love you, Eric. You know that, right?'

'Oh I do, and I love you too. But give your old Viking a kiss anyway,' he said, having already turned to face her. He had an expectant look on his face, which morphed into one of satisfaction once Sookie pressed her lips to his for a brief but passionate kiss.

Once it ended, the fairy telepath had a satiated look in her eyes. 'As always, you don't disappoint. That was some kiss!'

Eric put on a smug smile. 'So I've been told. Come on, my little fairy darling. We have a bar to get to, and I have a very pissed Pam waiting for me. The laptop debacle, remember?'

She nodded with a laugh and linked her arm with his, heading downstairs. Dermot was already in a white dress shirt and slacks, while Calixto was attired in a blue tee and dark jeans. His usual sword was absent.

'Come now, my niece. You know how this works,' the half-fairy said immediately, extending his hand forward while the fairy warrior beside him placed a hand on his shoulder. Sookie took her uncle's proffered hand, while Eric held on to her other one.

'All aboard the Fairy Express,' Sookie said jokingly, before they all dematerialized.

After a moment of magical transit, they arrived inside Eric's former office, which was now decorated in rich pastel colors, more in accordance with Pam's tastes. True to form of course, she greeted them with an obscenity.

'What the fuck?' she said, fangs already out due to getting startled.

'Good evening, Sheriff,' Eric said with a chuckle.

'Hey Pam. We've come to speed up the reconstruction via fairy powers,' Sookie added, pointing at herself, and then at Dermot and Calixto. The two fairy males gave the Viking's progeny a cordial nod.

'Ah, fucking hell. Whatever happened to using cars and normal fucking transportation?'

'Pamela, I am in no mood for your questions. Come, let us all just go outside and finish this,' Eric said curtly.

'Let's get on with it then,' Pam said.

The English vampiress stood from her office chair and headed out with the group, walking beside Eric and Sookie while Dermot and Calixto trailed behind.

The vampires in the bar were clearly shocked at their King and Queen's sudden arrival, but quickly composed their faces into their normal emotionless masks as they bowed in deference.

Even Alcide Herveaux and his boys were present, though he just nodded at Eric while giving Sookie a smile. The other Weres copied his greeting to the Viking and nodded.

As for Scott, he stopped his work and immediately walked up to them as soon as he noted their arrival. 'Good evening Your Majesties! And good evening as well, Sheriff Pamela.'

'Hello, Scott. Nice to see you again,' Sookie said in greeting.

'My bonded and her relatives are here to aid in the reconstruction of this place, Scott. As they will be doing so in a rather unorthodox way, please inform everyone keep this a secret on pain of final death. Tell everyone to glamour the humans to forget what they're about to see. Threaten the Weres as well,' Eric added.

Scott bowed and began to zip around at vampire speed to do as his monarch asked. Seconds later, the vampires were staring into the humans' eyes and murmuring with low voices. Alcide knew this was normal procedure for the fangers, so he left the whole thing alone. What he did though, was walk up to Sookie to ask for an explanation.

'What do you mean you're gonna help? How can you help, Sookie?'

Dermot chose to step in with a nod to his niece. 'You have heard of Niall Brigant, Were?'

'The Fairy Prince? What's he got to do with all this?'

'The Prince is my father, Herveaux. And because Sookie is the granddaughter of my brother Fintan, that naturally makes her his great-granddaughter.'

Alcide was stunned, which made Eric smile. 'And that, Herveaux, is how my bonded and Queen will be able to help in the reconstruction.'

'You are not to divulge this information to anyone. Otherwise I will take it upon myself to kill you this very instant,' the half-fairy threatened.

Alcide nodded mutely, trying to process the new information in his head. He was floored at the revelation. Nearly all supernaturals knew about the Prince of the Fae and his attachment to his kin, so the Shreveport pack master was immediately more cautious.

'Alcide, calm down. We're still friends,' Sookie said, trying to calm him with her eyes. This was in light of the fact that Eric had already forbid her to touch him on account of the bond.

'My lover, he understands that. If he does not, he is in for a very rude awakening,' Eric said smugly, giving Sookie a kiss just to spite the Were in front of him.

The telepath shook her head and gave Eric a small peck on the side of his arm. 'I know why you kissed me, you crazy Viking. Now let's get this bar up and running again.'

Dermot bowed to Eric first. 'If I may excuse my great granddaughter? I will need to explain what is to be done before we begin.'

Eric nodded, watching the three fairies walk back to his former office. As for Pam, she was holding a chart and talking to another vampire some distance away. Scott on the other hand, was walking towards him with a purposeful look on his face.

He bowed to the Viking, his startling green eyes ablaze. 'Majesty, the humans have been glamoured. What is to be done about this project, if I may ask?'

'The reconstruction will be finished tonight. As for your wages, you will all be paid in full as if you had finished this project yourselves. Think of it as a gesture of kindness from your new sovereign,' the vampire king explained.

Scott smiled in gratitude, truly blown away by his new monarch's generosity. 'Thank you, Sire. Such kindness was unheard of during the time of Sophie Anne and the traitorous Mr. Compton, so we are all very honored by your gestures. Is there anything else which Your Majesty needs done so that I may assist?'

'Would you like to be part of the royal retinue, Scott? I quite like the massive progress you've made here so far, and I feel you may be very useful in the near future.'

'What position am I expected to fill, my lord?'

'For a start, you will most definitely oversee the construction of personal projects, such as the Royal Residence in New Orleans. I may also ask you to represent me during certain functions, or serve as the royal spokesperson where necessary,' Eric explained.

'Your Majesty, I believe your confidence in me is quite too much,' Scott said.

'Is that so? I've seen your efficiency as an overseer first-hand. You have been very respectful to me and to the Queen, as well as being very attentive to the project you have been tasked to manage. And I quite like your eloquence. How old are you?'

'I am four hundred and ten Sire, turned in England like your progeny. As for the skills I possess, I am happy to use them in the service of the crown. Your Majesty is very fair and generous as a monarch, while the Queen is simply delightful,' Scott said humbly.

'So you will accept the position I offer you?'

'How could I refuse such an offer, Majesty?' the vampire answered, bowing to his king.

'Excellent! I will expect loyalty and hard work from you, and in return I will see to it that you are well-respected in both my kingdoms,' Eric said with a nod, before he turned his head to see who had patted him on the shoulder.

'We can begin now, Viking,' Dermot said, looking at the Nordic vampire expectantly.

'What will this entail, fairy?'

'As you can see, not much remains to be done. My niece, Calixto and I will simply think of this bar as it looked before, then concentrate on returning your establishment to that form.'

'You are sure you can do this?'

'I have no doubt. Do not forget that you are addressing the son of Niall Brigant, vampire. Your bonded is also immensely powerful, and her spark is unrivaled by many, even the full-blooded of our kind. Calixto is very skilled as well. Do not worry yourself,' the half-fairy said in reassurance.

The Norse vampire nodded curtly, before flashing over to his bonded. 'Make me proud, my sweet one,' he said gently, giving her a brief kiss and a hug.

Many of the vampires on the premises were shocked at their monarch's affectionate display and had begun to linger with their eyes, until Pam dismissed them with a glare.

'Okay, let's get this over with,' Sookie said, tugging on Calixto's hand as she walked to her uncle. Eric nudged her away, before choosing to stand and watch beside his progeny.

Some distance away from Pam and Eric, the three fairies linked hands and closed their eyes. A distinct blue glow began to envelop Sookie and Dermot, while Calixto's own glow was rather between the shades of blue and green. The three began to chant, while the bar's occupants looked on in wonder.

Every supernatural could clearly sense the power in the room, watching transfixed as the bar began to reconstruct itself slowly.

Stray wood began disappearing, and the walls were getting coated with their usual dark red hue. The floor was refinishing itself quite quickly, while the posters and shelves began to reappear as well, already stocked with various bottles of liquor.

Booths, tables and chairs also began to pop up in an orderly fashion, accompanied by the clinking of glasses appearing on the shelves of the bar. The small neon lights popped up too, while papers and other small trinkets went flying everywhere. The vampires quickly shielded themselves from the debris, and the Weres did the same. Alcide even had to duck a particularly sharp piece of wood heading towards him.

Twenty minutes later, everything went still, though the reconstruction still wasn't finished. The three fairies unlinked their hands, taking huge gulps of air into their lungs. They were obviously winded at their exertion.

Sookie leaned heavily against her uncle, trying to get some of her strength back.

Eric was by her side in a flash. 'Are you okay, lover?'

'Yeah. That just knocked all the wind out of me,' she said, still huffing slightly.

The Viking bit deeply into his wrist and held it out to her. 'Drink from me, sweetling. It will help you get your strength back.'

'You sure?'

'Sookie, just drink,' he said, pressing his wrist to her lips.

He was soon rewarded by the sensation of her gentle sucking, making him groan and nuzzle his face in her hair as he held on to her. He knew she needed all the strength she could get, so he fought the urge to bite her although he desperately wanted to. Instead, he settled for grinding against her, unable to control his natural arousal.

By the time the wound closed, Sookie had a second wind. The side effect however, was that she and Eric now undeniably desired each other. Pam even had to pull Eric away, since the Viking was already showering Sookie's face and neck with dozens of kisses.

'Come on, Master. We need to calm you down,' the vampiress said, pulling her maker a safe distance away and putting a restraining hand on his arm.

'Let me have her,' Eric whispered in a daze, making his child laugh.

'You can't have her, Eric. For God's fucking sake, calm down,' she chastised, even though she was enjoying her maker's frustration.

A few meters away, Dermot was doing the same as Pam, whispering into the telepath's ear soothingly as he stroked the skin of her arm. After a few minutes and several shakes of her head, Sookie did feel calm enough to continue, so she closed her eyes and linked her hands with the two other fairies standing beside her. The three immediately began chanting once more.

The reconstruction commenced again, and this time the lighting was the focus. Sparks began to fly every once in a while, making the vampires hiss in shock every time that happened. For the most part though, the work went on undisturbed until its completion.

Once done, the three fairies heaved from exhaustion, while the contractors began to clear away any debris which remained. Sookie was immediately taken care of by Eric, while Dermot walked to an empty booth and manifested three cups of strange-looking juice through his powers.

He handed a cup to Calixto, and instructed the guard to bring the other cup to his niece.

The fairy warrior did as he was told, heading over to Sookie and Eric. He bowed once he reached them, holding out the container of juice. 'Drink this, my lady. It will help you recover faster.'

'What on Earth is it?' she said cautiously, noticing the slight glow which it was giving off.

'This is merely juice, Lady Sookie. It is made from a fruit privately grown by your great grandfather, which he has called _eridwen._ It's enormously helpful to our kind, and is considered a very special treat by the Fae who are fortunate enough to taste it.'

'So this is some special sort of fairy drink?' Eric asked.

'Lord Niall has kept the growing procedure a secret, so conjuring this juice can only be done by himself or those whom he has taught, such as Lord Dermot,' the fairy guard answered, looking straight at the curious but cautious Viking vampire.

'Is Grandpa Niall really that selective?' the telepath asked, piping in again.

'Not all Brigants or all Fae for that matter, enjoy the Prince's favor, Lady Sookie. To my knowledge, only Lords Dermot and Fintan know how to manifest the fruit, or this juice. I have tasted this only thrice in my 802 years, since drinking this is often only done in special circumstances,' Calixto explained.

Sookie immediately had a flashback of the orange fruit she was once forced to eat in the Fae Realm, so she continued to be afraid. 'What color is the fruit used to make this juice?'

'Red, my lady,' he answered, still holding the cup out to her.

'You are sure this will not harm her? If something happens to her on account of this drink, I will torture you until you die at my feet,' the Viking said, looking at his bonded's fairy guard with mistrustful eyes.

'I would never seek to harm Her Royal Highness! I am sworn to the protection of the Royal Family, and as her title suggests, she is of royal blood. As per my oath, I would never bring a princess of our kind to the path of danger,' Calixto said gravely.

'Very well,' Eric said. He took the cup and gave it a quick sniff, before pressing the rim to Sookie's lips.

The telepath took a cautiously light sip, noting the delightful taste of the glowing liquid. She immediately began to drink in more volume, feeling a sense of comfort and warmth overtaking her body. Tipping the cup to near-perfect verticality, Sookie finished the juice with a wide smile.

'Wow! That was actually really, really good! Calixto, call Uncle Dermot over and ask him to teach me how to conjure this, please,' Sookie said, watching him walk away.

Soon enough, Dermot himself was by her side.

'It seems you liked your juice, my dove. Calixto tells me you wish to learn how to manifest the fruit, so I will show you as you asked.'

The half-fairy closed his eyes in concentration, making a raspberry-like fruit appear in his hand. In contrast to the normal raspberry however, the eridwen fruit was considerably larger. 'Go on and eat it, niece. I am very sure you'll love it,' he said, putting the fruit to the telepath's lips.

Sookie opened her mouth and took a dainty bite, moaning at the exquisite flavor which exploded in her mouth while Eric looked on a little jealously. She took the rest of the fruit in her mouth, chewing it carefully and savoring the sweetness on her tongue.

'Good, isn't it? To our kind, tasting this fruit is considered a special token of the Prince's favor,' Dermot said, smiling at his niece's obvious happiness.

Using a cough to interrupt the tiny exchange between Dermot and Sookie, Eric looked at the half-fairy with hopeful eyes. 'May I taste some of that fruit?'

'Well niece, your Viking wants some of the fruit. Conjure some for him,' Dermot said, looking indulgently at the fairy telepath.

Sookie nodded and closed her eyes, visualizing the eridwen in her mind and thinking of all its attributes clearly. Three seconds passed before the fruit appeared in her hand.

'I would like you to bite it for me, sweetling,' Eric said seductively, watching as she did what he asked. A chunk of the fruit was now being held delicately by her teeth, offered to him like a sacrifice to a god.

Wasting no time at all, he attacked her lips with his own, fetching the small chunk with a precise swipe of his tongue. Once the fruit was completely consumed, he turned his attention to kissing his bonded with his usual dose of extraordinary skill.

When they broke apart for air, Sookie gave him a playful swat on the arm. 'You are so spoiled.'

'Only because you're here to spoil me, my little fairy,' Eric said, pressing his lips to her neck and giving it a light nip as she giggled. Dermot and Calixto looked on passively, already used to their constant displays of affection.

The two fairy males walked away to drink some more of the juice, leaving the couple to their playful little exchanges. Human workers continued to go around cleaning, while Pam stood by the door of the bar, making calls to the employees and informing them to return to work the next night for the reopening.

Eventually, half an hour passed without comment. Most of the other vampires left after asking their Sheriff for permission, while the human workers made their exit after asking Scott instead. By 7:50, only he and four other vampires remained, accompanied by Alcide and his Weres. The 410-year old immortal was deep in conversation with one of the vampires, until he was approached by an unkempt man in an obviously cheap suit.

'How dare you touch me,' Scott said venomously.

'I'm looking for Eric Northman,' he said, before he was approached by Pam.

'Tyler Jennings, I assume?' the English vampiress said, utter boredom in her voice.

'Yeah,' he answered, smiling as he watched Pam point in the direction of her maker, before she returned to her series of employee calls.

He began to walk towards the location she indicated, stopping in front of Eric and Sookie. He cleared his throat, making the Viking growl loudly.

'Calm down, honey,' Sookie cooed, using her telepathy to tap into the new visitor's head as she gave him a brief but polite greeting.

All she could hear was a jumble of measurements, accompanied by what his mind said was a Buddhist mantra. To Sookie, his thoughts were unlike the vast majority, which made her suspicious but not really too afraid. After all, she was beside Eric, while Dermot and Calixto were mere meters away.

'I'm Tyler Jennings. You must be Eric?' he said, looking calmly at the Viking.

'You may address me as Mr. Northman. Never am I to hear you address me again by my first name, is that understood?' the Norseman threatened, indignant at the fact that some ugly human had deigned to call him as if they were both friends.

'Why not, fanger? Are you some king on a high horse?'

'Very good, little boy! I am indeed the king of this territory. Therefore, do not dare call me as if we are equals. We, Mr. Jennings, are _not _equals,' Eric said haughtily.

Pam smiled and spoke, having obviously come to observe. 'Come on, Master. He's here for a business arrangement. Be nice.' The English vampiress had no idea how wrong she was.

'I was just teaching him some respect. Mr. Jennings, please state the terms of your sale,' the Viking said, his voice laced with cloying sweetness as he stood beside Sookie.

'I'd like two and a half million for my land. Like I said, I'll accept no less than that. And aside from that, I'd like something else,' Tyler said, his hand reaching into his pocket.

The moment the words _your death _and _silver _popped into his mind, Sookie yelled.

'Eric, get down! He's got silver!'

'What the fuck? You fucking devil whore!' Tyler shouted, spraying the liquid silver into Sookie's eyes and mouth, in lieu of Eric who had long since moved out of the way.

Once he had done so, Jennings began to run, spraying everyone in sight. He managed to spray two vampires, a Were and Alcide, before he ran straight into Scott's fist. He was out like a light.

Meanwhile, Dermot was trying to nudge Eric away from his bonded. 'Move over. I can take care of her! Deal with the idiot who dared to do what he just did,' the half-fairy said, pointing at Eric's progeny, who was holding an unconscious Tyler upside-down.

'What do I do with this motherfucker?'

'We need to wake him up, my child,' Eric said gleefully, putting his hand on Tyler's left ankle. With a dark smirk, he yanked forcefully on the ankle and dislocated it.

Jennings opened his eyes with a loud scream.

'I won't do anything like that ever again, you can have my land too, please just let me go!' he begged pitifully, drowning in the sharp pain of his ankle.

'I'm afraid that's never going to happen. You see, Mr. Jennings, you've hurt my bonded and my Queen. And that alone is a very grave offense. Also, you've hurt my underlings and even the unwitting Mr. Herveaux. For that, you need to be taught a lesson.'

Eric turned to Pam and pointed to a spare table. His progeny obeyed, dutifully dropping Jennings onto the wooden surface. 'Public anatomy lesson, Master?' The Viking winked.

'Now, Mr. Jennings. You could have come here, sold me your land and left this place a millionaire. But no, you had to be a bigoted idiot who hates our kind. Firstly, I assure you, you will not leave here alive. But before your death, you will help me with a little lesson in human anatomy. Let us reveal your musculature!'

Eric dug his fingers into the leg of Tyler's pants and yanked, making him scream. The force of the Viking's pull took both cloth and skin with it, leaving red muscle exposed as blood began to drip to the newly-refinished floors.

Dermot quickly carried his mostly-healed niece to the safety of her bonded's old office, knowing she would never be able to bear the sight of such grisly punishment.

Outside, the Viking and his progeny continued without abatement. It was Pam's turn this time, and she spoke with a deathly smile on her elegant, emotionless face.

'Underneath muscle, of course, is bone. Let's show the world your bones, fucker!' Pam said, before she ripped away the flesh of his leg, revealing the white bone beneath it. Both she and her maker had been careful not to puncture any arteries, but the sheer pain of the punishment was forcing Tyler Jennings to go into shock. Eric noted this with a sigh.

'Ah, the end draws near for our dear visitor. And I didn't even get to have too much fun! But no matter. My loyal subjects, I have a task you will enjoy. Drain him for me,' he commanded with a smile, before nonchalantly walking away.

Pam watched her maker stride to what was formerly his office, before turning her eyes to the vampires feasting on Tyler's mangled body like lions on a carcass. She laughed for a short while, before joining Eric to check on the status of her friend the telepath.

A/N There you go guys, the fourth chapter. How'd you like that for an anatomy lesson? As an explanation, Eric is super cruel here because he's just been pushed over the edge. Remember that prior to the events of this chapter, he got into a tiff with Claude, then now this. Plus, Tyler hurt Sookie, so our favorite Viking's gone berserk.

Anyway, a short hint at the next chapter, we'll be getting Eric drunk. As to how that's gonna happen, you guys are free to guess. For the other chapters after the next one, we'll be looking at some major angst, and you guys get to find out the sad fate of Claude. Also, we will be seeing Eric and Sookie get into their royal duties, plus we have a little surprise from Pam and Gregory. The Coronation, the pledging and the wedding are also ahead! As for this chapter, drop a review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Hello readers. As you can all see, here I am with a new chapter for this story. Of course, before anything, let me thank the reviewers. One thing I've really grown to love is waking up and checking my phone, seeing new reviews in my e-mail inbox. More than that, the reviews page is filled with many a long review, which I am really grateful for. Thanks you guys. Sorry by the way for the rather late update. I've been really busy with work. But the next chapter is written, and will be posted about two days after this one.

PS. To _bannerdawn, _regarding the party which Albert threw, I have two simple answers. One, we drank lots of mead. Yep, honest to goodness mead, which Albert's father brewed. Two, Albert is a Swede. And when you party with a Swede, good things come to pass.

Chapter 5

The day after the Tyler Jennings encounter, Sookie woke at two-thirty in the afternoon encased in an Eric blanket. It seemed he had succumbed to the dawn with worry in his heart, since she could see that his face was not in its usual, peaceful mask. However, a smile found its way onto her face, since she knew he would be up soon.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she was delighted to note that she felt perfectly fine, as if the horrible stupidity of last night had never transpired at all. She knew it was mostly because of her uncle's effective magic, but she credited the rest of her happiness to the vampire beside her.

_I love you so much, Eric Northman, _she thought, tenderly stroking the planes of his face. Even with his constant affection and love, she still found it incredibly amazing that they had found each other as they had.

_To think, I once thought this man was the worst in the world. And now he's the love of my life. Well, well, Sookie Stackhouse, how things have changed. You certainly got lucky, _her mind said. She smiled once more and gave him a kiss on the lips.

She was debating whether to get up or stay in bed until he woke, but the decision was made for her by the insistent knocking on her door. She recognized Calixto's voice from the other side.

'My lady, please wake. The Prince insists he must see you at once,' he said loudly, still rapping on her door.

'Fine. I'll be right out!'

The fairy telepath wiggled out from under her vampire, getting out of bed and heading straight to the bathroom to prepare. Forty minutes later, she emerged from her bedroom clad in a simple yellow sundress and comfortable flats. Her hair was loose and framing her face nicely.

'I am sorry to have wakened you, my lady. But the Prince is here with visitors, and insists he must talk to you immediately. Please forgive me,' Calixto said.

'No problem. Come on,' she said, heading downstairs with him trailing, like usual. Once she reached the living room, the seriousness of the situation suddenly asserted itself.

_Obviously visitor is an understated term, _she thought.

Her living room looked like a medieval fair. Her uncle and Alvar were there, but the seven other beings in front of her were strangers. Add to that, they were strangers dressed in light armor.

'Everything okay, Grandpa?' she said, looking at Niall. He was dressed in his usual dark robes, but he looked tense and on edge. It was not a good look.

_Fairy Princes who are over three thousand years old should never look tense and on edge. Goddamn it, this is not a positive sign, _her mind whispered, while she fought to keep calm.

'I am afraid things are not good at all, my sweet one. But first, tell me. You are alright? Your uncle told me about that infernal Tyler who tried to hurt your vampire but hit you instead.'

'Yes, I'm fine. Please tell me what this is all about.'

'You remember that my involvement in the affairs of this dimension comes at great risk to myself and my position. I am afraid that while I have tried to quiet down the discontent of our realm, it seems I have failed in my efforts,' he said.

'Explain, please, Grandpa.'

Instead of Niall, it was Dermot who spoke. 'I administered the Fae Realm in my father's stead when he was here, niece. However, his mere absence has raised questions about his own priorities. His time here has allowed a rebellion to foment, and there have been skirmishes. The day itself that he left, two assassins actually tried to kill me.'

'Oh my God.'

Her uncle sighed. 'I myself tried to quell the conflict and assure our people that my father's main priority is the rule of our kind, but apparently, some have been conspiring to make that seem otherwise. We have found out that this rebellion has been brewing quite a long time already. His absence has brought everything to a head.'

Sookie sank down into an armchair, trying to process everything. 'So what's the situation? What are we looking at here? Small little conflict?'

'Not by any means, my dear granddaughter. The Fae Realm is in civil war,' Niall said. His grave tone, the lines of worry on his face, as well as the small look of fear in his eyes was terrifying.

_Oh my God. How much worse can life get? First the tiff with Russell, then the betrayal with Bill. Now they're both dead, I'm a freaking vampire-fairy royal, and this time, it's civil war. Unbelievable, _her mind screamed.

'So, why are you all here?' she said, leaning into the armchair's back.

'For one thing, my child, you require extra protection now. Two of these guards will be left here, in addition to Alvar and Calixto. Secondly, I was hoping to persuade your Viking to help,' Niall said pointedly. To say that Sookie was floored, would still have been a slight understatement.

'You want _Eric_ to help?'

'I never thought this sort of situation would arise, but yes. I need his skills with a sword for something important, my dear child.' Niall seemed to sigh with embarrassment at his admission.

'And what would that important thing be?'

'I need the leader of the rebellion found. I have sent my own men out to scour our realm for him, but it seems that he has escaped to this plane for the moment. If this is the case, he needs to be found and brought to me, but if necessary he can be killed.'

_As if life needed more conflict. For crying out loud, _Sookie thought.

'So you want Eric to help _find_, and maybe _kill_, this fairy rebel leader. And because he's possibly here, I need to have two more guards with me?'

'In essence, yes.'

_I knew he'd say that. Damn it. Trouble never seems to end around here, _her mind dictated. She let out a sad little sigh.

Before the telepath could form a _verbal _reply to reflect her thought process, there it was. That thrumming in her blood, accompanied by the irresistible urge to go back to her room. She had felt it before. Her vampire was calling her to his side, and the urge was too great to resist.

'Is the Viking awake, my child? Feelings are fluttering across your face,' Niall said.

In response, she only nodded and stood up, heading back to her bedroom with an anticipatory smile. However, her mood was slightly sullied by the news which her grandfather had given her.

Eric noticed this immediately as she sat down beside him.

'Is something the matter, my sweetheart?'

'Niall is downstairs. He has some big news that's about us. You know, you should really get down there,' said, looking at him with serious eyes.

'Kiss me first and let me enjoy you for a small while,' he said, pulling her down to him and making their lips crash together. His kiss was insistent, as if he wanted to assure himself that she was truly okay despite last night's encounter with silver. His hands kept her in place against him while he conquered the hot cavern of her mouth, thoroughly using over one thousand years of skill to reduce her to a puddle of need.

However, after two long minutes, they raggedly broke apart. Eric's eyes were charged, while Sookie was beginning to weigh the pros and cons of staying with her amorous vampire, versus getting up and dealing with the new situation.

Much to her chagrin, he was still leaning up and trying to kiss her again.

'Okay, that's it. Really, no more. Get up, and I'll conjure your clothes,' she said breathlessly.

This time, he began to kiss her neck, speaking seductively against her skin. 'But I want to get you naked, so I can drown myself in you. It would be a good way to die, if I weren't dead already. This then means that I can drown myself _inside_ you over and over, and _over_ again.'

He tried to lift the hem of her dress, but she was having none of it, swatting his hand away.

'Eric, you really, really, really _need_ to get down there. It's serious,' she said, making him whimper like a sad puppy.

He really wasn't making this any easier for her. 'Staying here is a more pleasurable alternative. I want you, Sookie. Let me have you.'

'You can have me later. Believe me, I want you too, but you really need to get down there!'

He put a pillow over his head and groaned into it, much like a child. After a second, he put it away and looked to his lover with pleading eyes. 'Do I really have to?'

'Yes, I'm afraid you do. Please get up.'

He acquiesced with a sad nod of his head, but not before he had snuck in an embrace and a couple more kisses. To Sookie, his affection was overwhelming but welcome, always a sign of the man who lurked underneath the powerful vampire.

_Looks like this afternoon waking ritual is our special little thing, _she thought. Much to her gladness, Eric had finally gotten out of bed.

After a quick conjure of clothes and a comb of his hair, he accompanied Sookie back down to find out what all the fuss was about. Certainly, the Fae warriors in armor helped bolster the supposed seriousness of the entire situation.

'Good afternoon, my son,' Niall greeted, while the warriors in armor bowed slightly.

Eric bristled slightly, not liking the term which Niall seemed extraordinarily fond of using. He didn't even bother to return the greeting. 'Why are you here?'

'I need your assistance in finding the fugitive leader of a rebellion in the Fae Realm. I believe he may have certain supporters with him in this plane. Rest assured, I have my own men looking for him there as well,' he said.

The Viking scoffed. 'And why would I _assist_ in the meddlesome affairs of your realm, Prince?'

'Because they know of Sookie as my kin. And if they are indeed here, then your assistance will help ensure your bonded's safety,' Niall said simply. 'Will you be so prideful that you will risk her security due to the differences between us?'

At this, the vampire grew slightly angry. 'This kinship of yours is proving more troublesome than it is beneficial. Shall I use your errant retard of a grandson as an example?'

'Claude has been punished. I've taken away his magic, and have had him in menial servitude within the castle. So, I will say this again, I need your assistance. Will I be able to expect it?' the Prince said.

Obviously, Niall was in no mood to go off tangent at all. Each second he spent here, more of his kind was dying in war. With their numbers already disastrously low, more deaths were simply not an option he wanted to take.

'Fine, you can expect my aid. What on Earth does he look like anyway?' the Viking said, looking at the Prince and waiting for a visual of the creature he was supposed to catch.

At this point, one of the warriors handed him a scroll with a face, the fairy equivalent of a wanted poster. It was one of a male with a prominent scar on his jaw, one which could not be missed or easily hidden. He had blonde hair with peculiar streaks of white. The Viking memorized each feature, committing the face to his perfect vampire memory.

_If this bastard tries to hurt Sookie, I will bring hell down on these fucking fairies, _he thought threateningly.

'If possible, catch him and keep him restrained,' the Prince said. 'Iron would be very debilitating, specifically. If he poses too great a threat, I will allow him to be killed.'

'That choice rests with _me_, Niall. You have asked for my help, and I want carte blanche. _I_ will assess how much of a threat he is, and I will kill him at _my_ discretion,' Eric said, making his stipulations clear. _Take my terms, or no deal, _he thought.

The Prince sighed but gave his affirmation. 'I will leave two more of my warriors to guard her, Norseman. I am sure you do not object to this?'

Eric shook his head and motioned for Niall to introduce which ones would be the guards. The Prince made a _come forward _gesture, and two armor-clad warriors stepped forward stiffly. The duo bowed lowly to Sookie and Eric.

They removed their helmets, and the Viking gasped in shock.

'Alfgeir?'

'Hello, Eirikr,' the warrior said with a small grin.

'Okay, seriously. What the hell?' Sookie said, confused.

Niall chuckled before he provided her an explanation. 'My child, Alfgeir is over 1,200 years old. In his time on the human plane, he often went and blended in from village to village, but he always preferred Scandinavia. When your Viking was human, Alfgeir was spending his time in your vampire's very hometown. That my dear, explains his shock.'

'He was a blacksmith. He made many of my father's swords, even two or three of mine.'

Sookie was reeling from the revelation, but trying to move on as Eric turned to address Alfgeir.

'So that's why your swords were always so ornate, and you took such a short time to make them!' he said, trying to recover from seeing a face from so far in his past.

_What the fuck? _Sookie thought, shaking her head. Similarly, Eric's mind was going along the lines of _fucking hell, my village blacksmith was a fucking fairy warrior. _

At this point, the Fae warrior himself clapped Eric on the back, smiling fondly at the memories surfacing in his head. He had always admired the Norseman's skill with a sword.

'Recover from your shock, Viking. Does it not comfort you to see my old face? I have aged a bit unlike you, but I am still recognizable, am I not?' he said good-naturedly, holding his helmet against his side.

Eric nodded and swatted Alfgeir's hand away, pointing to the other warrior.

'My name is Heifnir, Your Majesty,' he said, formally addressing Eric as his new lord and superior, even if he was a vampire.

Unlike his brother Alfgeir, Heifnir had spent very little time on the human plane. However, he had caught wind of the Norseman's reputation many times before, which led him to give the vampire a measure of respect.

'I don't suppose this one was your village's fisherman or anything, right?'

Eric shook his head and gave his curious lover a kiss on the cheek. 'He isn't, thank the gods.'

Niall smiled slightly and continued, looking at his granddaughter's bonded. 'Now that you have knowledge of that traitor's face, as well as more protection for Sookie, Dermot and I must take our leave. And don't worry, Northman. I've cloaked them like Alvar and Calixto. None of the appealing smell or the normal fairy features. Again, they'll mostly look like extremely attractive humans,' he said, pointing at Alfgeir and Heifnir.

The Prince bowed after his explanation and was about to dematerialize, but he was stopped by a sudden hug from Sookie.

'What is it, my little one?' he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

'Please be careful, Grandpa,' she said, looking up at her great grandfather.

She disentangled from him and did the same with her uncle, giving him the same serious admonishment. 'You be careful, you hear?'

'Of course I will my dove. When all this is taken care of, I will come back here and make your meals again,' Dermot said, trying to lighten the mood. 'You must also be careful, niece. Please promise me you will not do anything foolish.'

'I promise, Uncle,' she whispered against his chest, before she stepped away from him, back into the safety and sanctuary she found by Eric's side. Her vampire immediately took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss before lowering it down again.

Finally satisfied that their telepath relative was informed of the new threat, Niall and Dermot bowed and dematerialized, leaving Sookie alone with her vampire and the four warriors assigned to protect them.

_Well that was revelatory, _she thought, looking between Alfgeir and Eric. _So apparently, their village blacksmith is now my guard. How fucking weird. _

Before she could continue ruminating on how strange her situation was, the new silence in the living room was broken by Alfgeir's voice.

'So, Eirikr. The Prince tells me you can eat and drink. How about some mead, eh? I recall you were always of the drinking type,' he said cheerily. 'Of course, only with the gracious consent of Her Royal Highness.' Alfgeir turned to her with a hopeful look.

As for Eric, the word _mead _made him immediately ecstatic, since it had always been a particular favorite. Still, he looked to Sookie and waited for her permission.

'You should see the look on your face, Eric,' she said, before nodding in assent to their plan. It would obviously make him happy, so she was unable to deny it.

The greatest shock came, however, when she was suddenly wearing something which was _so not _her pale yellow sundress. Instead, she was now attired in a lovely but simple linen dress. Looking down, she was also completely barefoot.

Before she could let out a retort, her eyes fell on Eric. Truth be told, it was something she never thought she'd see, and the glorious sight rendered her speechless. Before her was not just Eric the vampire, but Eirikr, undeniably a Viking.

'Now you should see the look on _your _face, my love. I look hot, don't I?' he teased, wearing a smug smile at her expression. Glancing at Alfgeir, he smiled widely in approval.

'Oh my God, you really are handsome in that outfit,' she said.

Eric gave her a joyous embrace, lifting and twirling her in the air, the sudden gesture making her shriek with delight. 'And you, Sookie, are my perfect Viking woman!'

Alfgeir laughed loudly, looking at the happy couple with mirthful eyes. 'Now that you are both suitably attired, I suppose we must all look the part as well.'

With that, he summoned his magic and aimed at the three other warriors around him. It took mere moments before they all found themselves wearing Viking Age clothing. The sight made Sookie's eyes grow wide in glee.

'So this is what you people looked like,' she whispered to her vampire, giving him a quick kiss.

'This makes me supremely happy, my lover. To see you in that dress is an amazing gift to me. I've often thought of what you would look like, had you lived in my time,' he admitted.

'I hope I haven't disappointed you then?'

Eric shook his head emphatically, giving Sookie a kiss before Alfgeir piped in. 'Enough of your love displays and banter! Eirikr, we have mead to consume, do we not? Come, to the dining room with the lot of us,' he said, leading the group to his proposed location.

Upon arrival he immediately conjured bottles upon bottles of mead, setting out goblets with a distinctly Viking design. Calixto, Heifnir and Alvar sat down, obviously resigned to the coming celebration. As for Eric, he sat down but put Sookie in his lap.

Alfgeir poured the mead into the largest goblet of the bunch, offering it straight to Eric as he held up his own. The three other fairy warriors mirrored his gesture. 'Skål, Eirikr!'

'Cheers indeed,' the vampire said, clinking his goblet with the others before taking a long gulp, and then raising the container to Sookie's lips. 'Drink, my love,' he instructed enthusiastically.

He watched her take a hesitant sip, which soon turned into a series of gulps. Her vigorous drinking made him laugh. 'Mead-lover, are we?'

'Oh shut up, lug,' she said, watching Alfgeir pour some more into everyone's cups again, including their own.

Sookie decided to make the most of the situation, adding a touch of her blood to the contents using the transference which Calixto taught her. Once he took a gulp, his eyes grew slightly glazed over in satisfaction.

'First some fake chocolate and now some spiked mead. You like?' she asked with a coy grin.

Dispensing with a verbal response, he raised his glass to his lips and finished the contents without missing a beat. The union of her blood and mead was intoxicating.

_She really is the perfect one for me. That drink was the most glorious combination of my past and present, _he mused, giving her dozens of wet kisses that ended with the forceful union of their lips and tongues.

Heifnir cleared his throat, causing both of them to break apart. Sookie was breathless and beginning to feel very aroused, while Eric's shaft was hardening within the confines of his cloth trousers.

In any case, the sensation of her luscious backside pressing onto him didn't help at all. As for Heifnir's brother, he was determined not to stop the fun.

'More mead is always good!' Alfgeir said happily, refilling the empty cups. He threw away his own, choosing to drink from the bottle itself instead.

Calixto and Alvar smiled as they put the goblets to their lips and drank once more, while Heifnir declined as he still had some in his own vessel. Clearly, Heifnir was not prone to, nor keen on such displays of celebratory debauchery.

As for Eric, he looked on while Sookie continued to drink more of the addictive alcoholic beverage. Once she stopped, he attacked her lips again, using his tongue to swipe across her bottom lip quickly. Their kiss was needy and fierce, powerful and intensely erotic. Like every other encounter of this nature, Sookie began to get unbelievably wet, while Eric's member was straining almost to the point of pain.

Trying to be indifferent to the entire display, the four fairy males continued to drink the mead. It was obvious that Alfgeir was the most rowdy of the bunch, since he continued filling himself with alcohol, all the while using his other hand to pour into the goblets using another bottle.

'Let me regale all of you with a song!' he said suddenly, putting down his bottle and making a theatrical bow. Obviously, Eric was having none of it.

'No, no. I hate your singing!' he said, emphasizing the word hate. _And I want to fuck my Viking fairy right now, _his mind added.

Reflecting such thoughts, his right hand was already rubbing her center through the linen dress she wore, while Sookie tried her hardest to stifle a moan. To aid in the effort, she took a long gulp of the mead and let a few sounds out while the liquid sloshed into her mouth.

'Oh come now, Eirikr,' Alfgeir said teasingly, already making a grand show of opening his mouth to begin singing.

He was immediately stopped by the sexually-charged Norse vampire, whose voice had taken on a serious, commanding tone. 'I recall telling you that I didn't want to hear any of it. You happen to have a purpose here, as a guard. We've all drank our fill of the mead, and we're attired nicely. Now, you have to go do your duty and _guard_. Take your brother and the two others with you.'

Heifnir nodded and stood, waiting for his brother to do the same. Eric was pleased by the apparent commitment which he displayed, nodding in approval. After a moment, Alfgeir stopped and got up as well, soon followed by Alvar and Calixto.

It was Calixto who spoke first, looking at Eric. 'And where do you wish we go, Your Majesty?'

'Stay inside the house, and cloak it so no one can see the outside. Make it seem like a two-way mirror. We can see outwards, but the only things which the passersby see are the house and seemingly empty grounds around the property. And change us back into normal clothing,' the Viking said, his eyes lighting up.

'Very well, Majesty. We will leave Her Royal Highness in your care,' he answered, bowing before he walked away to the living room to do as instructed.

Alfgeir waved his hand to revert everyone to modern attire, before he followed Calixto. Heifnir and Alvar soon did the same, leaving Eric and Sookie alone.

'Exactly what is it you have planned? Your eyes are really bright,' the telepath said, looking at her vampire with curious eyes.

Eric didn't say anything, instead sweeping her up into his arms and flashing to the outside of the house. He set her down on the soft grass in the backyard and immediately discarded his shirt, resting on top of her, careful not to put all of his weight into the gesture.

'I've always wanted to see what it would be like to make love to you in the sunlight,' he whispered, lovingly stroking the planes of her face. 'Let me love you as you deserve, my sweet one. I need to worship you.'

Echoing his declaration, he slowly lifted the hem of her dress, kissing each slowly-exposed inch of skin he could reach. Reaching the end, he lifted the dress and threw it haphazardly away, before he removed her bra with an expert flick of his fingers.

'This moment is ours alone, sweetheart. We can savor this,' he said, kissing the underside of her breasts, before he took one into his mouth. He made her groan, feeling her hands lock into his hair. After a few minutes, he took the other one into his mouth, giving it the same attention.

'Oh, Eric…' she whispered, before she was silenced by his mouth on hers. 'You don't need to speak, lover. Just let me love you.'

His lean form pressed insistently against hers, their bodies seemingly aligned to perfection. His jeans provided delicious friction, but at the same time, acted as a barrier to their complete joining.

Eric intended to keep his remaining clothes on as a control measure, but Sookie clearly had other ideas. Her hand inched down to the button on his jeans, intending to free his length from its denim prison. Before she could succeed in her task, his hand was pulling hers away.

'All in good time, my eager fairy. Be patient with me. I need to make this last,' he said, already beginning to move downwards. His mouth blazed a wet trail on her skin, ending its journey on her inner thigh.

He began to lathe the area with gentle, teasing kisses, filled with the promise of things to come. Sookie on the other hand felt only desperate need, and the desire to have his mouth right where she ached to have it the most.

'Eric please…' she pleaded, her voice hoarse and filled with emotion.

Finally, the vampire rewarded her with a long, leisurely lick. 'You taste impossibly amazing. Even if I spent hours between your legs, it would never be enough.'

Following his declaration, he became more intense, his tongue beginning to probe her warm core with the expertise of a thousand years.

As it were, the telepath was nearly exploding with desire, bucking eagerly into his mouth as she moaned. The Viking could also feel his lust raging, but he tempered it with the fierce determination to leave her fully satisfied.

Thus resolved, he placed yet another kiss on her inner thigh, before he slipped two of his long fingers inside her. He watched with a smile as she began to say his name like a prayer, while he turned his attention to using his talented mouth on her sensitive clit.

As soon as he began his ministrations, Sookie could no longer keep herself wordless and silent as he'd requested. With each pump of his fingers or each lick of his tongue, her voice filled the air around them like a song, saying his name or combining it with some forceful expletive which made him chuckle often.

Feeling her climax on the horizon, the fairy telepath began to writhe under her vampire, her nails slightly digging into his scalp. 'Oh God, I'm so close…' she bit out, resigning herself for the release which was to come.

'Let go, my Sookie. Let go and come for me,' he said, withdrawing his fingers and biting into the soft skin of her inner thigh. As soon as his fangs punctured her skin, Sookie was lost to the world, screaming his name in completion.

For Eric's part, he was nearly overcome by the sweetness of her blood. The potent taste was making him lose his head, but he managed to retract his fangs with a massive amount of effort, licking the punctures closed with a careful swipe of his tongue.

Now intoxicated by her blood, the mead from earlier and the pleasure they both derived from each other, the Viking was now dedicated to making sure they were joined as quickly as possible. Divesting himself of his jeans, he immediately positioned himself above her, such that his hard shaft was resting just above her wet center.

'I need my own pleasure now, lover. Are you ready for me?' he asked, looking down at her with desire in his blue eyes.

'Eric, do it,' she said, pulling him down for a kiss as he pushed into her with a groan.

He began to move, his head sinking down into the valley of her breasts, showering the luscious mounds with endless kisses as his hands stroked her sides.

'My sweet Sookie,' he whispered as carefully sped up his thrusts, spurred on by the breathy moans whose sound constantly filled his ears.

'I know you need it, Eric. Let go, move faster…' she said, tuning in to the intense lust flooding their bond, while she gripped onto his neck and back.

With her sentence as permission, the Viking gave himself over to the pursuit of pleasure, slamming over and over into her with loud growls. His hands kept her pressed close against him, while his mouth began to kiss or lick whatever skin he could reach.

'Sookie, fuck! So fucking good…' he bit out, his previously rhythmic movements growing more disjointed and erratic. As for Sookie, she wrapped her legs around him, equally losing herself in the sheer bliss of their joining.

'That's it, Eric. Never try to tamp down on your passions,' she said, feeling gloriously full as he continued to thrust into her with abandon.

'You're mine, lover. No one else will have you,' he whispered against her ear, filling his voice with tones of power and possession.

Giving him another kiss, Sookie held his face, looking straight into his eyes. 'I know that, Eric. I'll always be yours.'

'Say it again,' he commanded, placing a kiss to her jaw.

'I'll always be yours. Always.'

With her declaration, Eric sank down to her neck. 'Just as I will always be yours. I love you, my Sookie,' he whispered, before he pierced the skin of her neck, greedily relishing the blood which gushed down his throat.

Sookie tumbled over the edge with a loud scream of his name.

As soon as her walls began to clench around him, Eric lost himself in his own massive release, erratically thrusting into her as he rode out his own climax. After a few more sips, he withdrew from her neck and bit his own wrist, placing it against her lips.

Once she began to suck, the Viking began to thrust into her again, relentless, forceful and somewhat rough. When the wound closed, he drew his wrist away and leaned down, looking at his fairy telepath with hazy eyes.

'Bite me, my lover,' he commanded harshly. The moment her teeth broke the skin between his neck and shoulder, he reinserted his fangs into the most recent puncture once more.

All it took was one pull before they both came violently, shuddering and groaning, riding out the pleasure of their mutual aftershocks as they drank from each other.

Eventually though, Sookie pulled away from Eric's now-healed wound, while he did the same and rolled off her.

'I always knew it would be amazing to do this in the sunlight. I was correct,' he said after a while, cradling Sookie against his chest.

'It's always amazing between us. You are really awesome, you know that?'

Eric chuckled. 'Yes, I know. I'm me, aren't I? Can't be anything less.'

'God. You are so arrogant!' she said, giving his cheek a playful swat.

'Ah, but you love it,' he teased, kissing her to prevent a reply.

Once they broke apart, the enormity of the entire situation suddenly dawned on Sookie. 'Oh my God, Eric. The things you make me do. We're naked in my backyard!'

'Of course we are. We just made love, didn't we? And may I say, it was immensely satisfying.'

'How can you be so nonchalant about it?' she asked, shaking her head.

Eric chuckled again, cradling her face in his hands. 'My love, the property is cloaked. At least your fairy guards are useful in that sense, so one can see us here. Besides, do you think I would ever let anyone see your gloriously naked body?'

'So not the point!'

'Whatever. The point, my sweet fairy, is that your gloriously naked body is supposed to be for my eyes alone. I am enormously possessive and you are mine,' he said, looking indulgently into her eyes.

Sookie shook her head, resigned to the fact that Eric would never be anything but possessive of her. 'Crazy Viking. Come on, we need to get dressed.'

'Okay, but kiss me first.'

And with that sentence, their lips found each other again. It was not until four hours and two rounds later that they both walked back into the house, wearing happy, blissful smiles.

Little did they know, things were truly about to change.

A/N So there, the end of the fifth chapter. I thought it would be good to give the two one more chapter of happiness, before the angst that's about to come. Drop a review, let me know what you think, and try to predict what form the angst will take. Trust me, it's not always rainbows in the land of Sookie and Eric.

Remember you guys, you help shape the form which this story takes. Your reviews sometimes make their way into the chapters, so make them count and send them in!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N As promised, here I am with the new chapter. This one will kinda immerse you guys slowly in the huge change about to come. To put it simply, Eric is in serious mode, and his highest priority will be to protect Sookie at all costs. So, for the next few chapters, including the big angst dosage, our favorite Viking will not be his usual mead-drinking self.

Just a heads up. If this chapter could be given a motto, I have gotten one for it. _Equality is the basis of all worthy relationships. Where there is no equality, there can be no real love._

That said, thank you so much to everyone who has sent in a review. They are all enormously useful. Eric in serious mode actually owes inspiration to a reviewer, and so does the part about Niall. You both know who you are! Nonetheless, thanks is due to everyone. On to our story!

Chapter 6

By eight-thirty in the evening, things had quieted down considerably inside the house. The Viking and his telepathic bonded were knee-deep in work, catching up on e-mails, duties and reports. Always alert, the four fairy warriors were also scattered at various locations, with Calixto hovering nearest to his mistress.

The dining room table had been converted into a milder version of the Pentagon, with Eric busily typing away on his laptop, while Sookie sorted the invitations which Pam had recently delivered to the house along with Eric's computer. Stacks of paperwork were also strewn about, in addition to different pens and markers.

As for the couple, they passed the time bantering back and forth while working.

'Eric, what do I do with the bids for construction on the Residence?'

Still not looking away from his laptop, Eric gave his decision. 'All bids or work requests in a separate pile, my love. Have you replied to the one from Leonard in New York?'

'The one that says King Leonard? If that's the one, yeah I have. I finished all the invites from the kings and queens first,' she added, before suddenly fixing her stare on Eric, one hand on her hip. 'And what on Earth is this damn document for domestic staff?'

The Viking chuckled but continued to type. 'For the Residence, sweetheart. That one has all the applicants for maids, gardeners, security and what not. I made Pam put out alerts and criteria through the appropriate channels.'

'But this file is 57 pages!'

'Well then,' he said, finally logging out with a small smile, 'that means we're popular.'

'Do we really need this many choices?'

At that point, Eric got out of his chair and flashed over to stand behind Sookie. 'Dearest, that place will be huge. Five hectares will not be easy to maintain, and we will truly need the help. Secondly, because they will be working for us supernatural monarchs, we need many trustworthy choices. I'm sure you can understand that?'

With a sigh, Sookie nodded and leaned back against Eric, taking comfort in how his arms automatically wrapped around her. 'Anything else I need to know about?'

'Yes. I appointed Scott as the Royal Overseer.'

The telepath turned around to face her vampire. 'For all the construction to be done? Isn't that what he does?'

The Viking shook his head. 'Not just that. In his new post as overseer, he will be in charge of assisting us in royal projects, if not serving as the spokesperson for us when necessary, as well as a number of other duties as needs arise.'

'You think he can be trusted?'

'As far as I have seen, yes. He's done admirably as the overseer of the bar's reconstruction, plus he already has some age on him. At 410, he will not be as naïve as the younger ones, nor as impulsive or stupid as many of them seem to be.' Right then, he sat down and pulled Sookie onto his lap, repeating a gesture he was fond of doing.

'What is it, Eric?'

The vampire king sighed before he spoke. 'I know you love the Prince, my sweet one. But I cannot help hating him for bringing trouble to our door. The affairs of his realm should not concern us in the slightest.'

'Eric,' Sookie said with a huff, 'you know he came over to help us. If he hadn't arrived, Russell might have escaped or something. I think he deserves our help, since his presence here sent his own tenure into a cartwheel.'

With that sentence, the Norseman merely nuzzled his bonded's neck, his arms wrapped around her in a gesture of protective affection. Leaning upwards, he whispered gravely in her ear.

'I worry for you so much, dear one. I don't like the fact that some Fae bastard or his cohorts might be here in this dimension, seeking to harm you for your connection to the Prince.' Once again, he went back to nuzzling her skin, happily taking in her scent.

'We have to deal with it, you know that,' the telepath said, before scooting to press her warm cheek against his cool one.

'Doesn't mean I have to like it,' he said. 'Anyway, I will keep you even more protected beginning tomorrow. I have commanded Herveaux to take watch with his wolves in the woods near the property during the day. Your four fairy guards and at least one Were will accompany you inside this house at all times. I'm afraid you must stay here for the time being. It is simply unsafe to be out and about, my dear one.'

'Five guards?' she asked incredulously, her independent streak making a show. 'Plus you're gonna coop me in here like a damn chicken for who knows how long? And what do you mean, you commanded Alcide to watch me?'

By this time, Sookie was already standing up indignantly, while the Nordic vampire was just shaking his head as he gave his explanation.

'Dearest, I am not taking any chances,' he said seriously. 'As for the Were, he knows his place. He is a relatively new pack master, and I believe he is not so stupid as to go up against a vampire king of my age and power.'

'But don't I at least have a choice in the things I'm gonna do?'

'In matters of security, I'm afraid you have none,' he said bluntly. By the red beginning to tinge Sookie's cheeks, he had hit a nerve.

'How dare you. This is my life I'm living, and no matter how small, I should always have a choice where I happen to be concerned,' she said angrily.

Eric let out a small growl. 'You have every choice available to you other than security. Sookie, I have survived over a thousand years. In matters like these, you are truly an infant compared to me. I will make all the decisions in this area, and I will not be swayed.'

'Did you just call me an infant?'

'That is exactly what you are acting like!'

The irate telepath pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. 'How am I being infantile? Eric, I may be young compared to you, but that's not the issue. You just made all these decisions without even consulting me at all. They pertain to me! I have a right to help decide.'

'That is not pertinent. My decision will not change. You will be guarded as I've already explained, not otherwise. In this you are powerless,' he said.

'Excuse me. _Not pertinent?_ My input is _not pertinent_ in a matter that concerns me?'

The Viking's growl grew more pronounced. 'Every other area but security will receive your input. Leave this to me, Sookie. You know nothing about security in times like these!'

'Granted, I may not be as knowledgeable as you, but I should still have a choice in even these matters. How dare you be this high-handed, calling me an infant and telling me my concerns are not pertinent! I'd have thought you better than this,' she said, pausing to compose herself.

'Sookie, why must you be so difficult? This is idiotic, childish behavior. You know very well I am your elder in times such as this one. Why must you resist me?'

She shook her head. 'I'm not resisting you. What I hate is how you've basically instructed me about all of this like a pack mule,' she said, raising her tone a tad more. 'Have you even heard the things you said? I have no choice? Five guards all the damn time, stuck here like some bird in a cage, saying I'm an infant or my input is not pertinent. In case you forgot, this is my life!'

At this point, Calixto and Alvar were preparing to intervene, while Alfgeir and Heifnir were carefully assessing the situation. It was Calixto who spoke first. 'Your Majesty, please back away from Her Royal Highness.'

'Calixto, stay out of this. I'm fine,' Sookie said, looking at her brown-haired guard, whom she had long begun to think of as the older brother she always wanted but never really got.

Meanwhile, unable to tamp down on his strong emotion, Eric held on to his bonded's arms and shook her quite like a rag doll. His fangs were already down. 'Do my actions not matter? I am doing my obligation!'

'Oh, now you've done it. How about me? Does my own choice not matter too? Fuck this. Fuck your obligation, fuck your goddamned opinion of my infantile age, fuck your decision process! Grandpa Niall told me not to undermine you, but this is beyond his limits for me. Really, fuck this!'

This time, Heifnir chose to step in with his sword drawn. 'Norseman, my first loyalty is to my princess. You hurt her and I will kill you.'

'Stay out of this, Heifnir!' Sookie warned, viciously trying to get away from Eric while trying to prevent her tears from falling.

In response, his hold only tightened, his fangs glinting dangerously. 'We will finish this, Sookie. Don't you dare try and run from me. You are mine! You have no right to run!'

At his outraged words, fear began to surge through her. She could only think of one logical thing to do, since she could not even focus enough to teleport. Sookie began to think intensely of the Prince.

In mere moments, Niall was standing in front of all of them, his sudden appearance providing the necessary distraction Sookie needed. As soon as Eric loosened his hold, she pulled away and ran to her great grandfather.

'What is it, my dear child?' he asked, trying to soothe the telepath and staring murderously at the vampire king. 'What have you done to her?'

She was already sobbing. 'Take me far from here, please,' she pleaded. 'I can't be here right now. Grandpa, please.'

'You have no right to take her away! She is mine!' Eric was beyond outraged. His vampire nature was in full effect, and all he could see what his natural right to what was his. He tried to reach out, but he was stopped by the four fairy guards.

They spoke in unison. 'You will not harm our Prince or his kin.'

Meanwhile, her thoughts filled with fear of Eric, Sookie continued to plead with her great grandfather. 'Grandpa please. Anywhere but here.'

'I understand, my child. Come now, Grandpa is here, no one will hurt you,' he said soothingly, before turning his cold eyes to the Viking. 'And you, Northman. You will know unbearable pain for the stupidity you've shown in hurting her. Where we will take her, you cannot go.'

With a kiss to the top of Sookie's head, Niall held her closer and dematerialized with the four fairy guards, the Fae Realm being the destination in mind. The Prince saw this as a fitting punishment, one which literally brought Eric to his knees back in the earthly plane.

The moment the telepath disappeared, the Viking felt his own heart tearing loose from his chest, before everything blended into an infinite moment of dull agony. It was similar to the pain he'd felt when Sookie had been gone for a year in the Fae Realm as well, only this was truly a million times worse.

Since the intensification of their bond, physical distance had been a source of discomfort, but now, its complete absence left Eric devastated. It felt to him as if Sookie truly had died, since their bond had been severed by the crossing of dimensions.

The first time she'd ventured into the Realm, their then-minuscule connection had also shut down. Despite that, some part of him always dictated that Sookie remained alive, which gave him the hope he needed to weather her absence and continue with his existence.

However, since their bond had been magnified, its subsequent severance was causing him pain of unimaginable magnitude, leaving him in a state of instability. One part of him was grieving for her loss, another part was supremely angry that she'd left him, while yet another part was filled with anguish and guilt.

In his rage, he began to trash the house, letting the anger momentarily dull the pain of his now solitary emotions. Everything in his path turned to rubble, shreds or sawdust, except one slightly crumpled envelope that landed in front of him. Apparently, Sookie had never gotten to this part of the mail pile.

It had only the word _Norseman _as identification, but he knew that scrawl anywhere, so he kept it from destruction. Undeniably, it was written by one of the handmaidens of the Ancient Pythoness, therefore, it was from the seer herself.

Thus, with pain wracking his chest, Eric began to read.

_Viking, _

_I have seen this happen in a vision, and it is happening as I knew it would. You have pushed her away, simply because you have not truly learnt from the mistakes of Compton, or even those of her grandfather the Prince. _

_I ask you now. Have you forgotten her nature? _

_Have you truly forgotten how Compton's refusal to involve her in crucial matters led to their separation and his demise? _

_Has your mind gone loose, such that you've forgotten how she reacted when Niall pushed his authority as sovereign upon her? _

_I ask you – is what you have done any different? _

_I know you are set in your ways, believing that all your decisions are for the best. Somehow of course, this sentiment has been mostly true. However, the sentiment was predominantly the truth in your time before Sookie. _

_Things, my dear warrior, are different now. I have told her not to change you, and I have seen Niall counsel you to try and adapt to her ways. You very well know that she believes in the power of choice, especially in matters where she is of the primary concern. _

_Have you forgotten this fact, Norseman? _

_You have mistakenly decided without her, claiming your correctness on basis of age and long experience. With the labels you have called her, you have made an easily resolved matter escalate into one which brings unequaled anguish._

_I tell you this now. She will only be truly yours if you show her you are equals, where no one is above the other. But, it is your vampire nature which prevents you from doing so. You feel the need to be Master, to control and to let her see your superiority. That is not the way. Equality is your only hope, I assure you of this. _

_As to your current situation, let me shed some light. _

_First, let your pain be a constant reminder to accept that this time, things are not as you always thought them to be. Your bonded is your equal, let her be so and she will make you proud. _

_Second, allow me to give you hope. Though it seems as if she is truly gone, you are Fated. This must come to pass, in order that you may learn from the experience and grow stronger. Though this pain will erode your spirit, do not let it break you, for you will be one again. _

_They say the night is darkest before the dawn. Wait for the dawn, Viking. It will come. _

Once he'd come to the end, Eric's predominant emotion was now guilt. Guilt so strong that it brought him crashing to the ground, tears of red falling from the corners of his eyes. Even the hope which the Pythoness spoke of did nothing to assuage the anguish he felt.

Sookie leaving had been due to him, due to his own lack of understanding. It was not an enemy which had taken her away, and that fact was the one which hurt the most. To know that he had caused her pain despite his constant proclamations of love, was a truth he found agonizing.

As such, after surveying the now-destroyed home, as well as feeling the sense of defeat which consumed him, Eric just decided to go and lie in Sookie's bed with the Pythoness' letter folded and placed on the nightstand beside him.

Surrounded by the scent of his bonded, he allowed the rivulets of red to flow from his eyes to the sheets, all the way until the merciful dawn took him under.

A/N As I said, all things have their purpose. I actually had my godfather, a priest, read the fight scene over. He agreed that it was too highhanded of Eric to do such things, as well as to claim that he was automatically in the right by basis of age.

This was what he said.

_Sometimes the only thing we have left in a situation is the ability and the natural right to make a choice. This represents the last, all-important thread of free will, the last modicum of respect we are universally entitled to possess. Therefore, to take away that choice is often the worst thing that can be done to us. _

As such, the Pythoness' letter was actually influenced by his comments on the entire thing, which I found really enlightening.

In any case, let me know what your thoughts are, and some hopes or requests regarding where you'd like to see me take this story. Remember guys, you have a voice!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N New chapter for all you amazing people. Like I hoped, the buildup in the chapters made a lot of people think about which side to take, who was more wrong, or what could have been done differently. That said, I've really grown to enjoy your thoughts, since they reflect or show angles which I may not have seen myself.

In any case, I'd like to give you all a peek into my head, just to show you guys why it's been written as it has. I hope you guys get a bit of enlightenment.

1. Sookie's reaction to Eric was drawn from her fiercely independent side. All in all, she doesn't really resent what he's done, only the fact that he's been really highhanded and refused to involve her in the decision-making process.

2. Eric is drawing from his experience and age. He's been so used to having his way all the time that he's kind of forgotten what it means to be said no to. In any case, he sees it as a simple matter of protecting Sookie, protecting the one person that matters most to him. Plus, being a vampire and all, he's protecting what he sees as rightfully his.

3. Niall was involved because Sookie began to be really fearful. The Viking was holding on to her, fangs bared and all, so the huge spike in fear prompted her survival instinct. She couldn't focus enough to teleport and his hold was entirely too tight, so she thought of the one person who could help her get away. It's not that she wants to involve her Grandpa, it's just a survival issue. Besides, Niall will explain all in this chapter anyway.

This chapter is mostly rectification, you guys. Niall is being protective, but he also plans to help correct her way of thinking about Eric's methods. Prepare for a bit more angst and a battle ahead. This is mostly concerning the Fae Realm, though we will get to see some Eric in this one. The italic thoughts will all be from Sookie, unless indicated otherwise. The eighth chapter will be about Eric, so all the italics will be his thoughts and so on, until they're together again in the human realm. That said, on to our story!

Chapter 7

Once they had arrived in the Fae Realm, Niall immediately went about making his granddaughter calm down. Their arrival had prompted questions from onlookers and palace servants alike, but the Prince immediately herded Sookie to a bedroom to rest, not intending to answer any questions no matter how innocent or fleeting.

He had given her some eridwen juice to help her sleep, which for the most part succeeded. The perpetual daylight in the Fae Realm threw the telepath's sense of time out of whack, so her rather brief sleep had not been to restful, but all in all served its purpose.

Upon waking again however, there was no rest to be had. Sookie had initially asked for some time to reorient herself, but Niall was having none of it. The moment she woke, her grandfather was already knocking outside her door. After a quick change into a gown via fairy magic, he immediately led her to his wing of the palace without much ado or fuss.

Finally, in the solitude of his private study, the Fairy Prince was clearly in no mood to mince his words at all. His voice was stern, his form slightly rigid.

'I knew this would happen, my little one. This can be fixed, I assure you,' he said, before sitting in his chair across from her, both of them separated by his massive desk.

'What do you mean, _you knew_?'

'I was in contact with the Ancient Pythoness. She saw this all in a vision and deemed it prudent to tell me what she saw, so we arranged a meeting and she told me everything. As she and I have already agreed, I have a duty to perform, and I will not let you go back to the Viking until I have completed it,' he said sternly.

'Grandpa, please, I've calmed down now. I need to go back! Uncle Dermot told me Eric wouldn't feel the bond. I don't what him to suffer through that,' Sookie said, seriously trying to get her point across.

_I am not about to let Eric feel like I'm dead or anything like that. We fought, he got all possessive and scary, and I called you. You still have no right to keep me here. Send me back._

'My dear child. This entire thing transpired due to a combination of various factors. For one, his vampiric nature. Secondly, your own youth and inexperience when it comes to the affairs of the supernatural world,' he said, giving her a level stare.

_My youth and inexperience. Where have I heard that before? How very Eric. _

Amidst her internal diatribe, the Prince did not stop speaking. 'I will see to it that such youth will cease to be a liability by the time I let you go back. The Pythoness assured me that she will do something to tend to the Viking.'

The fairy telepath shook her head. 'Just let me go back.'

Niall copied her gesture and shook his own head, leaning back and relaxing into his chair as if to prove the point that he would not be bringing her back for the moment. He even had a smile, which made Sookie cringe with slight distaste.

'Little one, you will come back to your Viking. In the meantime, I will make sure you receive an education about the supernatural world, while we let the Pythoness deal with the vampire end of things as she promised,' he said. 'This is beneficial to you, trust me.'

The fairy telepath was preparing a reply, when Niall suddenly stood and walked over to a side table. He conjured a bowl of eridwen fruit as well as some chocolate and various pastries. Pointing to the confections, he told his granddaughter to eat.

'Grandpa, I'm not hungry,' she said, staying firmly in her seat.

The Prince smiled and carefully picked up a piece of the fruit, holding it out. 'I insist you eat, granddaughter. It will give you energy, and we have a _long_ talk ahead.'

'Grandpa, I just said…'

'I will not have you hungry or uncared for. Eat, Sookie,' he said sternly, his gaze never wavering as she stood, took the fruit from his outstretched hand and popped it into her mouth.

The sense of wellbeing which the eridwen imparted was filling her again, putting a smile on her face, albeit a small one. In return, the Prince stood in front of her and stroked her cheek. Conjuring a pastry, he handed it to her again and watched her eat.

After she consumed that and some more of the food, he indulgently sat down in his chair again and leaned onto the table with his hands tented. He was back in _Serious Fairy Mode_.

'Now, we will begin your training. As the majority of your experience deals with vampires, let us have an examination of sorts. Tell me, who is the highest authority in a particular kingdom?'

_What sort of question is that, Grandpa? _'The monarch, of course.'

'And who are the ones next in line?'

'The Sheriffs, all the way until the run-of-the-mill vampires at the bottom of the hierarchy.'

Niall nodded and continued. 'And to the vampires, who are the scum, the ones at the very bottom of the hierarchical chain?'

'The humans.' At her statement, the Prince smiled, though almost imperceptibly. She had begun to separate herself. 'And what are you in the chain, my dear child?' he asked.

'The human,' she started, before Niall gave her a withering glare. 'Ah, no. I'm one of the monarchs, and I'm not human.' _Happy now, Grandpa?_

'Excellent. To the vampires, you are their queen, and the Viking's _rightful_ mate. Do not ever debase yourself or think that you are some mere human. You are above that, and let no vampire _ever_ tread on your station in the hierarchy. You are _Queen_, any less is unacceptable.'

'I get it, Grandpa,' Sookie answered with a nod. Internally, she was repeating _you are queen _over and over in her head, trying to ingrain the little line into her head.

'Now that we have reinforced your position, I will let you see something,' he said. After a moment, a large book floated towards them and landed on his desk. 'This, my dear, is the history of the Brigant house, our family and the ruling house of the Fae.'

_You seem awfully calm for someone whose position is at risk. It doesn't even seem like you guys are in civil war. _'I don't mean to be prying, but is the civil war over? You seem okay.'

'Oh, the war is far from over. We have subdued many of the rebels, but there are still encounters. Your Uncle Dermot for example, is out fighting somewhere,' he said gravely, scratching his forehead a bit. 'And we have not caught the leader yet.'

'Oh,' was all Sookie said. 'So what about this book?'

The Prince waved his hand over the hefty tome and it opened to a specific page. With a small grin, he pointed to the face on the page. The telepath sank into a state of shock.

'Why on Earth is my face occupying nearly this entire page? God, it looks like I was photographed,' she said, slowly tracing over the superbly-sketched lines of her face. Taking a careful breath, she read the caption.

_Her Royal Highness, Princess Sookie Brigant. Born from the lineage of HRH the Lord Fintan Brigant, son of Prince Niall, present ruler of the Fae._

The Fairy Prince had a look of pride on his face. 'I told you, my dear. You are Fae royalty and an equal to Northman in your own right.'

'Yeah, I can see that now,' she said, still a little dumbfounded.

'Thus, your full title in the supernatural world as of present would be quite a very long one. _Her Royal Majesty,_ _Sookie Brigant, Princess of the Fae, Queen of the Vampire Kingdoms of Louisiana and Mississippi._'

'Mouthful.'

'Indeed, not to mention quite a paradox. Princess of the Fae, and yet also monarch within two vampire kingdoms,' he said, chuckling. 'Now, turn to the previous page, please.'

Doing as told, she backtracked one page and smiled. The space on the aged paper was shared by two faces, both remarkably beautiful and similar. 'This is Uncle Dermot and his brother?'

'Yes, dear child. This one is Dermot, as you can see,' he said, before pointing to the other picture, getting a wistful look as he did so. 'And this one is your grandfather Fintan.'

'Uncle told me that he was dead. How did he die?'

'Let us say he died of natural causes. And he lived seven hundred very eventful years,' the Prince said, not wishing to go at length into the subject of his son Fintan. It still brought tears to his old eyes every once in a while.

'So he's my real grandfather,' she said, placing a small kiss to his picture. 'Nice to meet you, granddad. I wish I could've known you.'

_I don't care, but I'm pulling an Eric line. It's strange to miss someone you don't remember, or even know at all, for that matter. But I'll still miss him. _

'You are very alike, so loving and passionate, so strong yet so impossibly kind and gentle. You remind me of him very much, Sookie. Thank you,' the Prince said, interrupting her reverie. Before she had time to react, he had already craned over the desk and kissed the top of her head.

'Thank you too, Grandpa. For this,' she said, gesturing to the book and looking around. 'Also, for everything else you've done.'

Niall shook his head. 'It is my duty and my joy to care for you, dearest child. But now, it is time to get back to our earlier conversations, before I take you to meet a few of the servants.'

'What do we talk about now?' By this time, Sookie had taken on an openly curious attitude.

He took a pause. 'Your relationship with the Viking.'

The telepath steeled herself immediately. 'What about it?'

'Well, I think it's prudent to begin with telling you his role and the supernatural viewpoint on all this,' he said. 'It is the Norseman's duty to provide for your wellbeing and keep you happy, as well as to dutifully protect you and defend your honor.'

_Sounds like the common male role. _'Doesn't this apply even in human relationships?'

'The providing and keeping you happy part, yes,' he said. 'However, supernaturals view protection and the defense of honor very differently.'

'Please go on.'

'You are his,' he said, killing her planned reply with a glare. 'This means that no human or supernatural can try to accost you, touch you improperly or make any sort of impure overtures. It is not about you being owned like property, it is about telling the world that you are off-limits. Because you are his, you cannot be harmed without retribution.'

_Ooh damn, and I know exactly what sort of retribution Eric dishes out._

Niall smiled coldly at the next part. 'And retribution from the Viking is a terrible thing,' he said, before he unconsciously touched his own neck.

_Ah, now you're remembering your throat's encounter with his fangs and then his damn big boots. Oh yeah, you know all about Eric's terrible retribution, Grandpa. _

'I understand what you're trying to say,' Sookie said, taking a breath, 'but it's all just so possessive and medieval. It goes against all my modern human sensibilities.'

'And are you human?' Niall's eyes had taken on a certain glint, as if to say _don't you dare tell me you are, even after everything I've shown you. _

'Okay, I'm not.' _I concede, you old fairy man. Point taken. _

'So, his possessiveness works in your favor. Again, it is _not _about being his property. I cannot stress this point enough,' he said seriously. 'Besides, what if some human piece of filth suddenly kissed your Viking? Would you allow it?'

'Hell fucking no! Eric is mine!' _Well fuck me. I've been a hypocrite all this time. _

'See? You see him as yours, in way that is not about property at all,' the Prince said, watching as acceptance dawned in his granddaughter's eyes.

'Thank you for clarifying, Grandpa.'

'As I promised the Ancient Pythoness, my duty is to educate you as well as possible on the ways of the supernatural world. I take this duty seriously.'

'Well, I'm grateful,' she said sincerely. 'Anything else?'

'Now let us talk of the events in _your_ world. The event of prime importance to me is your pledging, as it will establish your _inviolable_ right to the Viking and vice versa,' the Prince said.

'I know, and thanks by the way for thinking of that for Eric and I.'

'He would have thought of it himself, in time. Now, since the Coronation Ceremony will take place immediately after, you must be a _vision_. I will make sure you are attired in priceless jewels and the richest of fabrics,' he said, his beautiful azure eyes lighting up at the prospect of flaunting their family's vast wealth.

At the mention of jewels, Sookie had begun to inwardly cringe, though she let her great grandfather continue his excited speech.

'You, my dear Sookie, will be the envy of everyone. You will be so very alluring, the _perfect_ epitome of feminine beauty.' He said the last part with a definitive nod at the end.

'Eric will do that for me, I'm sure,' she said.

Niall nodded again. 'I know that. But you are independently very wealthy, Sookie. The fortunes of our family have consolidated and grown over the mostly uninterrupted six thousand years we have spent on the throne of the Fae,' he said proudly.

'You will go to the Viking every bit as wealthy as he is,' he ended definitively.

Before she could reply, the Prince had already chosen to stand. 'I have a meeting, my sweet one, so I must unfortunately cut our lovely talk short.'

'A meeting with whom, if I may ask?'

'With your vampire,' he said, looking at a timepiece on a chain. 'By my calculations, it is already late afternoon there, so I am very sure he's out and about.'

Sookie's eyes took on a pleading look. 'Grandpa, please?'

'I will go _alone_, granddaughter. As I have said, I will educate you, and your education is _far _from finished. You may however,' he gave her a pen, 'write him a letter which I will personally and honorably deliver. While I am there, you can wait for your Uncle and attend to him here.'

This time he took out some paper and an envelope, which he placed on the desk.

Sookie immediately began to write, excusing Niall who said he needed to make some rounds before he left. It took quite a long time and more than a few crumpled balls littered the floor by the end. However, she was quite happy with her most recent attempt and folded the letter neatly, carefully sliding it into the envelope.

On the outside, she put a simple _Eric _as the identification, in her rather swirling scrawl.

For now the only thing left to do was to wait, which didn't take too long, since he reappeared in the study soon enough. He was dressed in dark robes now, in contrast to the earlier light gold he was previously sporting.

'Are you done, my child?'

'Ah, yeah. Here it is,' she said, handing him the envelope.

He tucked the item inside a robe pocket, dematerialized after a courtly bow and reappeared straight in the living room of his granddaughter's Bon Temps residence.

Clearly, it had seen _much _better days. Under the wrath of a greatly-distressed and therefore unstable vampire king, not much had survived.

Most of the furniture was broken, while a sparse scattering of feathers littered the floor from torn pillows. Curtains and drapes hung lopsidedly, and small drops of dried blood from Eric's tears were on the floor. Finally, Niall's eyes fell on the vampire himself.

Far from the confident leader and warrior he always was, the Norseman was just sitting on a slightly mangled but usable armchair. The Fae ruler noted that at least he had changed into different clothing, but he knew that Eric was not his normal self at all.

'Bring her back to me, Prince,' he said tiredly, still unmoving.

'I give you my word that I will,' Niall said. 'And of course, I trust you have been counseled by Her Grace, the Pythoness?'

Eric nodded wordlessly. The Prince took this as his cue to continue speaking, all the while also conjuring a chair to sit in.

'Now, listen to me, Northman. The Pythoness and I have already come to an agreement when we met to discuss the vision she had of these events,' he said. 'Part of that agreement is that I will educate Sookie for your shared benefit, while the Pythoness will do the same for you.'

The Nordic vampire scoffed. 'At this point, Niall, nothing really matters except that Sookie comes back to me. Do you understand?'

'And she will, I promise you. Fix this residence, get the plans for the needed ceremonies in place, and begin construction on your official home in Louisiana. Be strong for her, she is being stronger than ever for you.'

'Oh? And how would you know about her changes?' Eric said snappily.

This time, it was Niall's turn to scoff. 'Because I was with her when they happened, you idiot. She wants to come back, she's told me. But because she wanted to be better for you, she has mostly accepted that I will first educate her properly.'

At that, the Norseman sighed. He was also growing resigned to waiting for her, since it was not as if he could follow and get her back. However, a burst of hope surged through him once Niall brought out Sookie's letter.

'From her to you, Northman,' he said, giving him the envelope. 'I will leave you in peace to read and compose a reply. I or a servant will be back here at the same time tomorrow to pick it up and bring it back. Be strong now, for her.'

Without another word, Niall bowed slightly and popped away again. Now left in a silent, empty house, Eric carefully ripped the side of the envelope and took out the letter.

With anticipation and hope in his undead heart, he began to read.

_Dear Eric,_

_Well, here I am, writing to you. Before anything else, I do want you to know that I've already forgiven you for everything. The same way, I hope you can forgive me too. _

_Grandpa has been very good to me in the short time I've been here. He's made me rest and calm down, plus he showed me the family history book. I even met my fairy granddad, Fintan. Mostly though, I'm thankful to him for something else. _

_He says I can't go home yet, on account of needing to be educated, as he likes to say. In that regard, he's been so enlightening. For this reason, I'm going to suck it up (a little humor for you) and just learn as much as I can. _

_As for your education or whatever, Grandpa says you have the Ancient Pythoness. I don't know about that, but it's like we're in Couples Counseling: Supe Edition. _

_So far, with the lessons, I've realized a couple of things. _

_1. I don't really know anything much yet about the supernatural world I now have to live in. Because of this, I'm now willing to learn more from him and from you once I'm back. I do promise you this. _

_2. Now I know why you like to say that I'm yours. I get it now, Eric. I may take some time to get used to it, but I won't resist you or make a fuss of it. Grandpa explained what all that stuff means, and how supernaturals protect what's theirs. So, I'm sorry for being damn fussy in the past._

Eric smiled and continued, liking the Couples Counseling, which he thought funny but appropriate.

_As to my personal health, I'm fine. Grandpa insists that I not starve myself, and that I eat regularly, so I'm all good on that point. _

_Also, he wants to help attire me for the Coronation Ceremony and the pledging. I may negotiate with him since I'd like to let you help me, but if it can't be helped, of course I'm sure that Grandpa wouldn't let me look like a fool. _

_For now, let me say a few last things. _

_One, I really miss you. I'm going to try and keep myself busy so I can occupy my time, but I know I'll still end up zoning out and thinking of you. As you love saying, you're Eric Northman. Thinking of you is a given. Anyway, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? _

_Two, I hope that when I'm back, I'll make you proud with everything I've learned. Grandpa's been drilling my supernatural-ness into me, so I will try to get over my hang-ups and do as best as I can for your sake and mine._

'Well thank you, Niall,' Eric said to himself before resuming his reading.

_Three, we just both have to suck it up and stay strong for each other until we get back together. I'll try to be extra eager so I won't have to spend too long here. This is nice, but I want to be back home, and my home is with you. _

_So, that's all of it on my end. Write to me, will you? Tell me everything. _

_See you soon Eric, and I love you. _

_I really, really love you. _

_Yours, _

_Sookie_

_PS. About the part where absence makes the heart grow fonder. I don't know if it's possible to get fonder of another than I am with you, or how you are with me, I hope. Really, forget being fond. I don't like being absent. I just really wanna be with you again. _

_PPS. You be good, you hear me? I don't want you drinking from fangbangers, so I'll send you a special treat the next time I get to send you a letter. Love you, sweetie. _

'I love you too, my sweetheart,' Eric said in a whisper, once he'd gotten to the end.

Tenderly clutching the letter in his hands, he went upstairs to bathe, planning to pay a visit to Fangtasia at sundown. He felt that being in the place where they first met would be appropriate, for what he planned to write as a reply.

After his hour-long bath, he left a message for Pam to anticipate his visit to the bar, and to tell Scott that contractors were to be hired for the repair of the house, as well as instructions to begin construction on the Royal Residence immediately.

In addition, he also prepared some correspondence for various matters in the Kingdoms, as well as requested a report from Gregory via e-mail.

Thus, finished with all his work by sundown, Eric headed out of the house and took a deep breath, sampling the scents in the air around him. His mind immediately flashed back to her recent letter, now in his pocket.

Filled with such thoughts, something unexpected overcame his face.

A smile.

One which was unlike the earlier ones, sardonic and lifeless on his face. This one was full of hope, filled with gentleness for his beloved.

And with that smile, the vampire king took a cursory glance upwards and took to the air, surrounded by the clear Louisiana night.

A/N Sorry you guys for the late update, by the way. I had to teach a master's degree class and all that, so I was real busy for quite a while. Anyway, drop a review and tell me what you think. If you have thoughts or things you'd perhaps want to see in the story, feel free to say so in your reviews. Remember, use your voices!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Well everyone, I'm a happy camper, so here we are with the prompt posting of the new chapter. As promised, this one is Eric-centric, and will provide a view into the events in the human world. Thus far, thank you all for the reviews and the alerts, the PMs and the requests to see their ideas translated into the story. I am so grateful.

Like in the previous chapter, the thoughts in italic are all from the Viking. This is his chapter, after all, correct?

Happy reading and on to our story, people!

Chapter 8

Eric arrived at Fangtasia half an hour later, since he had taken some time to slow his flying and get his thoughts in order. Aiming for a low profile, he landed some distance away and just walked to the front entrance, where he was greeted by Scott.

'Good evening, Your Majesty. Your child the Sheriff told me you would be coming and I have been assigned to receive you,' he said, bowing and clearing a way for his sovereign.

The bar was once again filled with patrons, who took care not to jostle nor touch him as he regally passed. Anyone who tried to get near or to sneak in a touch was immediately herded away by the other vampires, who bowed respectfully to their King as they did so.

All in all it was a short trip to Pam's office, and Scott left perfunctorily afterwards. Once they were alone, Pam immediately crushed Eric a bit with a hug.

'What happened to you? I could feel everything. God, it was agony,' she said, looking worriedly at her beloved maker.

'I am afraid Sookie and I got into a fight, and a very big one at that. I was somewhat ruled by instinct, and in her fear she called to Niall. They are in the Fae Realm,' he answered.

_Sadly, I have no idea when she will be back, but I hope for it with a ferocity you would never understand, my dear progeny. I will just have to trust that the gods have a reason for everything they set in motion. _

'What? How dare she,' Pam said, before she was silenced by Eric stroking her cheek. 'Everything will be fine, don't worry yourself.'

_I keep telling myself everything will be fine. Truthfully, what else can I say anyway?_

He sat down on the office couch and stretched out his legs, closing his eyes in a strange mixture of relaxation and focus. After an unnecessary breath, he felt calm enough to continue speaking.

'I will focus on Kingdom matters first. Do you have anything to report?'

'I told Scott about the Residence construction. He's already on it, so no worries on that point. As for your Coronation Ceremony, so far we have a guest count of 790, with 84 of them being monarchs,' she said. 'Most of the others are just the retinues, then your subjects from both kingdoms, plus some government humans.'

_Ah yes. The fucking human government, trying to schmooze in on everything. Well, I will just have to put forward my best face. Wait, not just my face. Sookie's too. She will be back._

For the moment, Eric silenced his internal musings. 'Get Scott in here,' he said, watching Pam press a button on a nearby intercom. Within moments, the centuries-old English immortal was standing before them.

'You called for me, Sheriff?' he said, looking at Pam. She merely pointed to Eric and went back to her laptop.

'I want the Residence done in the shortest time possible. I don't care how many people you have to hire, just get it done and get it done _quickly_. Update, now,' Eric said, still sitting comfortably on the couch.

'Well Sire, the land has been cleared and I have given the order to start everything. There are currently a total of 1,600 workers on the project,' he said.

'All for construction?' Eric asked.

'They are covering construction, landscaping, interior design and some just as overseers. There are also those who cook and serve the refreshments or what not.'

The king gave a satisfied nod. 'How much time until its completion?'

'With the current workers and the schedule, my estimate is about fourteen weeks, Your Majesty.'

The Nordic vampire shook his head. 'Increase the workers to 2000 and make sure work goes on _24_ hours a day,' he said, turning to Pam. 'Find Alcide Herveaux and tell him he will oversee construction in the daytime.'

'Yes Master,' she said, while Scott only bowed and excused himself to place some more calls.

Now alone again, the Viking took his child's place and logged into his e-mail account, telling her to sit somewhere for the moment, which she did. Wasting no time, the Norse vampire immediately began reading Gregory's freshly-sent report.

_Your Majesty,_

_You have asked me for a report of the things here in Mississippi. First, I am glad to say that much progress has been made. I have an itemized list below. _

_1. The drainer problem is making headway. We have interrogated a man named Carson, who has known links to the Fellowship of the Sun, and we are checking the veracity of his confessions. So far, we are investigating a drainer cell in Jackson, as well as interrogating the Weres in the area. I will update you as developments arise._

_2. Finance-wise, we have no problems. The state is making a healthy 402 million annually, and I have formed a committee to review our business holdings. Any properties which I have identified to be making poor profit are being checked over to make improvements. Also, all extraneous and useless real estate has been efficiently sold. _

_3. In terms of policies in this state, apparently Russell taxes the Sheriffs twenty percent annually. Please send back your remarks whether this should be changed or not. Security forces here are quite lax, so I have been getting the idiots back into shape. _

_4. As for the Coronation, I have been coordinating with Pamela regarding the guest list. I expect she has updated you. I will also courier the royal signet rings to you soon. _

_If there is anything more you need, just let me know. Also, I am personally heading the search for that fugitive which the Prince wants found. I have assembled a search team, with counterparts in other kingdoms. _

_They have been very cooperative and have allowed us free reign. I think it's because they are all afraid of you, my brother. _

_Gregory_

Making haste, the Viking typed out his own reply at vampire speed.

_Gregory, _

_Good work on everything._

_Same as you have done, an itemized list of things to do. _

_1. My orders regarding the drainer problem are the same. The priority is our own kind, and I want this stopped resolutely. Do what needs to be done. _

_2. Send a report of all the properties remaining. I will make further comments, but I approve of everything you have done so far. _

_3. Lower the tax rate to ten percent, since the twenty is overkill to me. It's unnecessary, it's harsh and besides, it's not like I need more money as it is. Tell the Sheriffs that I expect their loyalty in return for my benevolent gesture. _

_4. Send me a list of cases that merit my arbitration and judgment. Otherwise, I leave everything to you and only ask that you report what your ruling was. I plan to hold the first formal Court very soon, do you have suggestions for a venue?_

_5. Please coordinate with Pam further regarding the state of the Royal Residence in Mississippi. I want it torn down, please find a suitable other structure. As with Louisiana, I want no trace of the former king in my kingdom. My Royal Overseer, Scott, can also assist in this matter. Just ask Pam for his e-mail address and any other information you need. _

_Lastly, I may meet with you soon. Continue to update me regarding that fairy fugitive we have to catch. Ask around through the appropriate channels._

_And yes, it's because of the fear. At least their fear has served our purposes._

_Eric_

Once done with his reply, the Viking stood and grabbed a pen, a pencil, a length of string and some paper. Before his child could question his motives, the Viking was already out the door, heading straight towards his Royal Overseer.

'I need some quiet,' he said. The English vampire immediately led him to a booth and ordered everyone to stay as silent as possible, his voice having taken on an authoritative tone since he was now part of the Royal Retinue.

'No one will disturb His Majesty the King,' he said to a brunette waitress, and then repeated the same command to an auburn-haired male vampire.

He milled around, flashing from place to place with the same admonishment. He was determined to ensure that whatever Eric planned on doing, he would not be interrupted by anyone. Afterwards, he immediately sped back to his now-seated monarch.

'Everyone will make an effort to be very silent for you, Sire. The music has been turned down and the humans told not to be too boisterous.'

'Good. Thank you,' Eric said, giving him a nod and a dismissive wave. Meanwhile, the humans continued to watch him.

Now that the bar was predominantly peaceful, the vampire king closed his eyes and cast his mind back to his first encounter with the fairy telepath. He filled his head with the images of that night, burned so clear in his perfect memory.

The white of her dress, the silken flow of her hair, the smile she gave him.

He allowed himself to get lost in the recollection for a bit, before he opened his eyes and grabbed the pencil. With measured, precise strokes, he began to sketch on the paper, committing that night to the white blankness of the page.

Special attention was paid to her form, standing demurely in front of him in her virginal white dress. The Viking took very great care to recreate the scene exactly, down to the minute details of the bar around them.

Once done, he put the title _Our First Meeting _and carefully signed the bottom right corner, using his elegant flourish.

Putting that aside, he began on a new project, this time a sketch of her holding an afghan. It was a recollection from when he had ventured in the swamp, high on Claudine's blood. Of course, he had neglected to include the naked Alcide standing beside his lover, but the very memory of the dog sent his blood boiling with rage.

_That fucking wolf, how dare he shift form with her standing beside him. Fucking pathetic. _

Willing himself to calm down, he went back and finished his sketch, lightening a few lines while darkening some others. This one he simply titled _Comfort, _before he signed it as well and casually set it to the side.

Taking yet another piece of paper, he began another new sketch, this one from their little mead-drinking episode at the house. It was one of her in Viking Age clothing, looking so gentle and kind, and yet so filled with fire and life.

He gave it a simple title, _Happiness. _It was the word closest to what he felt seeing her in clothing from his time and age. As before, he signed it in his usual elegant manner, before setting it aside and finally beginning his letter.

_My beloved,_

_Here I am as well, writing to you from Fangtasia. First things first, I forgive you, and I am grateful that you have forgiven me too. _

_Truly, as I have told you before, all is now well between us._

_To begin, I am glad that Niall is treating you well. The Prince is enormously affectionate to his selected kin, and I am aware of how he just adores you. Then again, everyone who meets you does, maybe with the exception of Lorena and Russell. But, they do not matter. And, well, they're dead._

_Indeed, my lover, we are both being educated. Yours is much more personal, while I got a letter from the Pythoness. I expect I will get more soon, if she and Niall have truly come to an agreement as he told me. _

_With all that said, let me tell you of things here. _

_1. Scott is now seeing to the repairs of our Bon Temps home, and yes, it is our home now. Work has also begun on the Royal Residence, and I have summarily ordered round-the-clock construction to be done. _

_2. Gregory has filed a very positive report regarding the state of our other kingdom, and much mail has accumulated. Paperwork is hell, my dear one! He has also spearheaded the search for the rebel leader which Niall wants us to find and detain. Much progress has been made._

_3. Pam reports that there will be 790 attendees to our Coronation so far, with a very big possibility of increase. 84 of those guests are monarchs, the rest are just from the retinues and the vampires in our two kingdoms. Even some government people are planning to be there. Ha, the fuckers._

_There is not much else happening here, so I will turn to more personal matters between us. _

_I would like you to know, what I did was out of the desire to protect you. _

_Now that we are bonded and occupying a very high place in the hierarchy, there are more threats to us than ever. But I realize now that I went about it the wrong way, and I will endeavor to make amends and change my ways in the future. _

_However, let me tell you this, my dearest. Your protection will always be my paramount concern. I will ask your input on my plans, I promise you, but you may not like the end results anyway. So, let me put this out there. _

_I will protect you at all costs, Sookie. I do not care if you fight me or hate me for it, but I will keep you alive and by my side. __Help me in this. Protect yourself, learn even more magic from the Prince and I beg you, do not be so foolish and rash next time._

_Please, my lover. Do it for me. If you got hurt or died, by the gods, I don't know what I would do. _

_I would take terrible vengeance, tear the world apart, and then meet the sun in the end. __Ah, but let us not talk too much of these matters. They will only pain us both._

_At this point, I will just be honest with you. There is so much pain in my heart, and some resentment in fact, that you have left me. I cannot adequately explain the agony I feel each second you are away, but I will be strong for you, if that is your wish. _

_Truthfully, I am just animated by hope at this point. _

_Still, despite the pain of your absence, the most overwhelming emotion I have is still my love for you. Despite everything, my heart still seeks out the sanctuary of your own. So for now, while we are apart, I console myself with our happy times. _

_I think of how you always sit in my lap, comforting me with the softness of your body against mine. It is a lovely feeling. _

_I cast my mind back to when we first frolicked in the sunlight, when I kissed you in the middle of the yard, bathed by the warmth and light around us. I tell you, lover, it was one of the most glorious days of my long existence._

_In addition, I like to think of how we feed each other. The berries and the cream, especially! Do you remember that time, my Sookie? (Imagine me winking, sweet one.) That was a delicious moment, and I do think of it often. (Cue another wink, and a smirk.) Also, the raspberries and your lovely fake chocolate, as well as exquisite eridwen fruit and the mead we drank. _

_I also think of how we rested against that tree in your backyard. It was a surreal, perfect snippet in time. A grand moment where you nestled and rested against me, while I got the satisfaction of making you feel loved and protected. _

_And most of all, my sweetling, I think of us together. Those are the moments I love the most, when we are joined, when I don't know where I end and you begin. I love those times, when your soft skin is pressed so closely to mine, where I am drowning in your scent as we make love until we collapse from our release. Oh yes, lover, such good times. (Insert fangs dropping here, followed by my lips curling into a mischievous grin. Oh, yes.)_

_So with that said, let me turn to the attachments to this letter. They represent how I see you, from the first time we met all the way to now. _

_The first one is a sketch of our first meeting. Do you see how beautiful you are through my eyes, my beloved one? Your innocence and grace shines through so clearly. You know, I think I began to love you in that very moment. _

_Next is a sketch of you holding that red afghan, during that time where I swam in the sunlight. I was without my memories then, but the same stirrings I felt when we first met, still tugged at my heart. You, standing there in the sun, it was a magnificent sight. Afterwards, when I began to burn, you were the very manifestation of comfort itself. As you wrapped the covering around me and told me to run, I knew I could never let go of you even if I tried._

_Last is a picture of you when Alfgeir gave you clothes from my time as a human. The moment I laid eyes on you, dressed so simply and yet looking so beautiful, I felt as if my own heart was trying to escape my chest. You know, I think my mother would have loved you, if you had lived in my time. I know I would have, with same intensity as I love you now._

_So my dearest, there you have it. I have told you everything, what I do, what I think about and what I hope for. I do hope you find my little gifts satisfactory._

_I only pray to the gods that you think of me with love and fond affection, exactly as I think of you. _

_See you soon as well, my beloved. Make me proud. _

_All my love,_

_Eric_

_PS. I love you. I really, really love you too._

_PPS. Isn't that some sort of cheesy movie? Pam watched it once and tried to get me to do the same. I refused. I am a Viking for fuck's sake._

_PPPS. In any case, I agree with you. Absence makes the heart grow fonder is just a load of shit. I don't care about fondness, I just want our separation to end, fuck the damn cliché line. And, I look forward to your little treat for me. Love you too, my sweetheart. I'll never get tired of telling you. _

_Really the last PS. Fuck it, I've turned into a romantic. What have you done to me, woman? Oh, and I am very sorry about the swearing. _

Eric ended his letter with a smile on his face. Carefully rolling the letter and the sketches together, he tied them securely with the string he procured.

For the rest of the night, he sat on his throne and entertained vampire visitors, growling and showing his fangs whenever some fangbanger dared touch any part of him. By two o'clock, he retreated to his former office in boredom and sat down until three-thirty, where he continued prior conversations with Scott and Pam. By a quarter to four, everything in the bar had been securely closed up and squared away, much to her obvious satisfaction. Thus, locking the door behind him, Eric followed his progeny and hopped into her car.

In the silence of the still-dark morning, Pam drove her maker all the way back to Bon Temps, where he headed back into the house and straight to the bedroom he shared with his beloved fairy bonded.

Exactly as he'd done the day before, he closed his eyes and receded into downtime, waiting for the pull of the oncoming dawn.

A/N So guys, there you have it. Eric's long letter, and the current state of affairs in the human world. In any case, timeline-wise, I'll give you guys a simple formula. For the purposes of this story, I've tweaked the time difference a bit, such that one hour in the Fae Realm is equivalent to four hours or so in our world. Let us just assume that Sookie spent some time in the Fae Realm we don't know about, then move on, okay?

I'm taking some liberties here. For a detailed explanation of the timeline in the previous chapter, just send me a PM and I'll give you my time-graph. It checks out perfectly. Review, review!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N So guys, how atrocious it must be of me to not have updated for such a long time. I can do nothing but apologize for that. The reason for the hiatus is that I needed to attend the EuroTechArt conference in Lisbon, plus Albert and I sidetracked to Copenhagen before we went to Oslo and finally, to Stockholm. Anyway, this chapter is up, then Chapter 10 will be uploaded two days after, followed by Chapter 11 the next day.

Lastly, here's the thing guys. We will measure the passing time in Eric's terms. As I have written in the previous chapter, it is perpetual daylight in the Fae Realm. Hence, time seems to just go on and on. For clarity, we'll use Eric as our timekeeper, okay? This is also still an Eric chapter, so all the italics are his thoughts.

Oh, thank you by the way to everyone who has put this story on their alerts and favorites, as well as put me on their favorites list and what not. Check out the note at the end, for a special surprise I have for lucky readers, plus check out my profile for some new pictures that may help you form the mental image of this story. Hence, on we go!

Chapter 9

By the time Eric woke from his day sleep, it was already 5:30 in the afternoon. Quickly, he noted that the earlier waking times were a result of their constant exchanges. With the cessation of those exchanges, he was slowly reverting to his prior habituation.

Keeping the shutters in place, he walked to the bathroom and started to shower, his mind firmly filled with thoughts of his bonded and queen. For the vampire, it had been a sad bathing experience, as the very bathroom served to remind him that he was showering _alone. _Thus, he had only spent enough time to get reasonably clean, before he got out and dressed rather morosely.

Rummaging around in the closet they now shared, he picked a gray button-down shirt and partnered it with slacks and shoes.

Inadvertently, his eyes had landed on a pair of Sookie's heels, which made him sigh.

_How I miss you, beloved. It's no fun showering alone, and everything in this house is just a cruel reminder that you are not with me_, his mind whispered, as he began to comb his hair into its usual style.

After an hour and a half of preparation, he was finally ready to go out of the bedroom and begin his work downstairs. To his surprise, he heard a knock from the front door before he was fully out of his shared resting place with the telepath.

Using a thousand years worth of speed, he headed downstairs and opened the door, startling Scott on the other side.

'Good evening, Majesty,' he said with a bow. 'The Sheriff informed me you resided here, and I was hoping we might talk of your preferences for the reconstruction of this place. I brought some materials to take notes and what not.'

Noting the laptop bag slung on Scott's shoulder as well as the cables in his hand, Eric gave his underling a nod of acknowledgment and stepped aside to let him through.

With another bow, Scott crossed the threshold and headed inside to survey the damage to the structure. To the centuries-old Englishman, it was a confirmation of his sovereign's terrible capacity for rage and destruction.

'Perhaps it is best if we should just reconstruct this place entirely, Sire,' Scott said, shaking his head slightly as he looked around.

At the mention of total reconstruction, Eric's eyes lit up a bit.

_At least now, I can erase all the influence of the damn fairies inside this home. _'All well and good. If you think that is best, let us talk of design.'

'Of course, Your Majesty.' After that, the new Royal Overseer waited for Eric to take a seat, before he did the same and brought out his laptop.

Logging in, the English vampire quickly opened up a design suite and clicked on a file, before he plugged his cable into the living room's flat screen for larger viewing capacity. Soon enough, a drawing of the house's dimensions appeared, filled with markings.

'As you can see Sire, I took the liberty of getting the plans for this house using the records within the state system. I have here the basic structure, which we will overlay as design decisions are made and finalized.'

'Good,' Eric said, leaning into the armchair and stretching out his long legs. 'Show me the designs you have so far.'

Scott clicked on his laptop's touch pad, bringing up a 3D model. It was substantially different from the original look of the house, since Scott's modifications had converted it to a more official-looking planar structure, with a rather rectangular shape.

'I want it to be cozier, since this is our home. I would prefer this design for the Royal Residence,' the vampire king said, making a _go on _gesture.

The next design had it looking like a huge plantation home, but Eric thought it too old and outdated-looking for modern times, so he bypassed it again, with the exception of the roof design, which he ended up liking.

'Perhaps this one, Majesty?' Scott said, bringing up his last design.

Finally, the Nordic vampire nodded in full approval and pointed at the screen. 'That one is perfect. It is neither too grand nor too simple. However, one last thing.' _That design is for a gigantic piece of land. _

'Yes, Sire?'

'Downsize it a bit to fit this property. If the downsizing is impractical, see to buying the surrounding land in the backyard, if ever that's necessary.'

'Of course. Shall we move on to an update on the Royal Residence?'

The vampire king nodded, so Scott changed directories, opening up a file with a new model for the New Orleans Royal Residence. Much to his relief and satisfaction, Eric immediately said yes to the first design he had brought up.

The design incorporated the planar, rectangular features of the earlier plans for the Bon Temps home, though this one clearly incorporated a sense of tall grandeur. It was meant to intimidate and impress with elegance, far from the gaudy look of Sophie Anne's home, or the simply inadequate presence of Traitor Bill's little shack.

'How far have we gone regarding construction, Scott?'

'The foundations, the preliminary fencing and the marks for the courtyards are in, Sire. In addition, now that we have a design to work with, the construction will proceed with no more interruptions.'

'Financial estimate?'

'Considering the size of this project as well as the fact that we need no more land payments, the estimate on the residence would be about twelve to fifteen million, Majesty. Most of it will be the salaries, then we will have the permits,' he said, taking a pause. 'Then of course, the construction materials, the landscaping, the interiors and the art pieces you indicated in a previous e-mail.'

Eric took a moment to process the information. 'How about the security?'

'I have here my official recommendation for Head of Security, Sire,' Scott said, before he pulled six pages from his laptop bag. Presenting them to his King, the Englishman pointed to the picture. 'John Piers, formally trained in the Marine Special Operations Regiment, before he transferred to the Navy and served in special operations as well.'

'I see he's served five tours of duty already, which is good. Any prejudices we should know about?' _He better not be part of the Fellowship of the Sun. _

'None. He served admirably as security detail to the King of New York until 2009. Sources within our community have no quarrels with him, nor does the King have any problems with his skill or his attitude. I checked personally with King Leonard, Your Majesty.'

The Viking only nodded, before looked at his underling and told him to continue.

'Lastly, we have identified ten potential ones for your personal security, five for you and five for the Queen. They have been screened according to your specific criteria and interviewed first by me and then your child, the Sheriff. Finally Sire, here is a letter from Her Grace, the Pythoness.'

Scott then turned back to his laptop bag and fished out a letter, embossed with a wax seal from the ancient seer. With a respectful look, the 410-year old immortal placed the letter on Eric's upturned palm. The Norse vampire set it aside for later reading, before taking the other paper files and setting them one of the few remaining side tables.

After more perfunctory conversation, Eric dismissed Scott with an order to bring in security, a supply of blood and to get the house cleaned, at the very least. Finally then, bowing as he left, Scott gathered his equipment and exited with a formulaic but respectful goodbye. By the end of their conversation, it was already eight-ten in the evening. It was one where Eric found himself alone yet again.

Retreating from the living room, he walked over to the kitchen area and sat on a stray dining chair, the Pythoness' correspondence in hand.

Opening the envelope, he began to read.

_Northman,_

_Things are well with your beloved, let me first tell you that. The gift of sight is enormously helpful, thus I have seen her learn many things under the Prince's tutelage. I inform you with great joy that she is now growing into her role as one of high station. I shall say no more on this matter, as she herself will show you soon enough._

_Henceforth, let us turn to other things of significance._

_First - something is about to happen. Though it be painful, it will serve to bring her home to you sooner than you think. Suffering is looking you in the eye from the far horizon, Viking. Stare back at it with the warrior's spirit I know you bear._

_Second, prepare for the upheaval that is to come in your kingdoms. Where there is gold, there is always a thief. Where there is plenty of pasture, the wolves always come to claim the sheep. _

_Third - remember all that I have told you in my past letter. Equality is key._

_However, let me assure you that I have and will continue to take steps to ensure that the playing field is leveled. I have made a deal with the Prince. You will soon learn what that is, but let me tell you it will be to your specific benefit. _

_Rectification is soon to come, Northman. The Prince, while he loves his kin, is not without his own faulty ambitions. Hence, as one of the elders of our kind, I will help ensure that his influence is minimized, if not completely eradicated. _

_Upon this hope you can rely, until the dawn comes from the dark of the night._

In the rather dim silence of the house, the pained king stood and let his mind process the new load of information. To his satisfaction, at least now he knew that the Pythoness was supremely on his side.

For Eric, the fairies had brought more than enough nuisance to outweigh their benefit.

Case in point - the Fairy Prince, who had chosen that specific moment to make his visit. Before Niall could speak a word, Eric had already tucked the letter into his pocket and was staring at him in a mix of annoyance and disdain.

'Bring me what you've come to bring, tell me what you've come to tell and then you may leave.'

'Now that isn't any way to greet one who is about to be your forthcoming relative, is it?' Niall said, looking squarely at the Viking.

'You know what, I don't really care what the way is. May I remind you as well Niall, that you are addressing the monarch of this state. As such, I suggest you remand your behavior accordingly. I am not to be trifled with,' Eric said with a sneer on his face.

The Prince shook his head. 'Very well, Your Majesty. I come with a gift from my great granddaughter,' he said, opening the small case he had in his hand.

Within the ornate wooden container was a large vial, nestled against a soft purple lining. Not missing a beat, Eric's blue eyes narrowed their gaze onto the red liquid in the clear glass.

'Is that what I think it is, Prince?'

'Well, thanks to Sookie's quick mastery of scent cloaking, it could be whatever you think it is. However, she bids me tell you that she promised you this, and that you would know,' Niall said, handing the Norseman the case.

Eric took it quickly and closed the lid, tucking it against his side. Telling the Fairy Prince to stay, he flashed upstairs and retrieved his own correspondence for his beloved. Afterwards, he handed it to Niall without further preamble.

'Make sure she gets it without so much as a wrinkle, Niall, or you will have a very irate me to deal with,' the Viking said, fixing the full force of his azure eyes on the Prince.

'I understand,' the Prince said, before executing a short bow for protocol's sake. 'Oh, and let me tell you something. She will be home sooner than you think, if you play your cards right.'

Giving the vampire king a final smile, Niall nodded and dematerialized.

Now alone again, Eric sat back down and opened the lid of the box, taking out the vial. Attached to it was a card, fastened by a small length of gold cord.

_I promised you a treat, right? Plus I know you super hate the synthetic stuff, so here it is. Vintage Sookie Stackhouse! Love you always!_

The telepath had signed it with a simple S and a small heart. The affectionate simplicity of the message nearly brought tears to Eric's eyes, as he removed the stopper with precise care.

Taking a perfunctory sniff, he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like when they finally reunited, before he tipped the vial's contents into his waiting mouth. To the thousand-year old Viking, the taste filled him with comfort, yet also with longing.

Comfort, since he now had her essence within him, longing because she was simply not beside him to share his new joy. The irony of it made him sigh as he closed his eyes. With her blood coursing through him, Eric allowed his mind to drift, lost in thought about his beloved.

_Why must we be separated like this, Sookie? Furthermore, why do you affect me so?_

_In over one thousand years, I have murdered and fought, looted entire villages, massacred whole towns when it suited me. I gloried in pleasure, learned to lose myself in the totality of the blood and the other pleasures at my disposal. _

_I became a master at control, carefully eviscerating all obstacles in my path. I became merciless, ruthless and indomitable. Where other vampires died, I continued on like a tree that refused to be felled. It was with these qualities that I became well-known in the Old World, earning a reputation for skills that most could never hope to match. _

_Then I traversed the oceans, came to the New World, so pristine and undiscovered. I came to America seeking a new home, a more adventurous existence. Then, I became Sheriff and ruled with a hand that none dared provoke, a hand sharpened by the tribulations I'd survived and the lessons I'd learned from the continents across the ocean. _

_I made my Area prosperous, brought Pam to my side and gave her everything she could ever want. The revenue was rolling in nicely, I got to fight every once in a while, and Sophie Anne mostly left me to my own devices. _

_Unlife was good - and then you came into my life. _

_You came into my life and you overturned it. You totally obliterated all the walls I put up to keep people at a distance - you smashed through them all. You made me risk my life, do things to my own detriment. I took bullets - okay, you sucked them out, but I still took them - for you. _

_I ended up making alliances I never thought I'd make, bringing in allies from centuries past to protect you. I risked my position, my reputation, my very self for you._

_Yes, you did break me apart in ways unimaginable._

_But my love - you alone ended up making me feel alive again. _

That was the last sentiment he thought of, before the sound of a breaking glass filled his ears. In the sudden chaos of auditory stimuli, the vampire king heard a whir of motion. By the next millisecond, the cause of the noise made itself known.

The cause itself was simple and immensely painful.

There were two silver arrows lodged in his ribs, as well as another one just beneath his sternum. As if things weren't bad enough, three more shot through the window, hitting him twice in the arm and once in the shoulder.

Suffice it to say, the Viking fell to the floor in pain, the weight of a thousand years seemingly bearing down on him with vengeful intensity.

Summoning a last blast of strength, he called to Pam through their shared bond, hoping against all odds that she would come and help end his suffering.

A/N Yes, I just left you with that cliffhanger. As if my lack of updating isn't frustrating enough, right? Anyway, please, drop a review and tell me what you think.

Do you guys have any guesses on who did the atrocity of shooting Eric? If you do, share those guesses and predictions and let's see if you have the sight like the Ancient Pythoness.

Who knows, you might be right, and if you are you'll definitely hear from me about a surprise!

I also have a special treat for whoever sends in the most insightful, thought-provoking review. The treat comes in the form of a special power to influence the outcome and content of the next few chapters after Chapter 12!

Again, the tenth chapter will be posted two days after this, and if anyone does guess right, they'll get a special advance showing of the tenth and eleventh chapters before the two are posted.

Good luck, see you all in the next chapter and I hope to hear from you guys!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Hey there to all my awesome, lovely readers. Here we are with the tenth chapter to the story, to help alleviate your concerns regarding the fate of our favorite Viking. Hence, still an Eric chapter, but the next one will shed some light as to Sookie's reaction to her dear bonded being in danger. This chapter will also open your eyes to my view of the relationship between Pam and Eric, so let's get on with it!

Oh, and thanks by the way to the reviews for the last chapter, particularly to _erin1705_, for giving me some ideas on plot and the like. And don't worry, o awesome one! The late thanks was of no consequence. It's fine.

Encouragement-wise, a shoutout to _Rossi's Lil Devil_ for words which made me supremely happy.

PS. Albert, I know you're reading this. I caught you the other day, sucker. Anyway, thanks for the help and for advising me on plot. You are so awesome. Oh, and such a shame we didn't get to see Alex Skarsgård in Stockholm, huh? We saw him four times before anyway. Advantages I guess, of being such good little Europeans. God, I miss Sweden.

Chapter 10

Pam had been sitting alone in her office at Fangtasia when the pain hit. It was a sharp sort of agony, punctuated by the strength of her maker's call. She hadn't felt such a pull in many decades, so she flashed out of her office and straight to her car, hurriedly informing Scott that he should follow with a team of vampires.

The agitated Sheriff didn't even wait for a reply before she got in and drove off like a maniac. All well and good, in the grand scheme of things, since she had arrived to a sight she hoped she would never have to see.

Her strong maker, the famed Eric Northman, was in a heap near the dining room table, metal sticking out from various points on his body.

'I knew you would come, child,' he said, his voice hoarse but weak nonetheless.

'Shut up. I'll kill you for this later,' Pam said in reply, hiding her concern and relief.

Afterwards, she quickly found a potholder, using it to wedge out the arrows in his flesh. The act itself caused Eric great pain, as the silver continued to grate on his tissues upon exit. What worried Pam though, was the fact that her maker didn't appear to be growing any stronger despite their removal.

Examining one of the arrows provided the answer to her dilemma, also causing her to curse in a mixture of distress and frustration. Before the Viking could ask his child about her outburst, it was the Royal Overseer's voice which broke through the silence.

'Sheriff?' he asked, somewhat timidly.

'In here, Scott,' Eric's progeny said, still agitated by the entire experience.

'What happened to you, Majesty? You were fine when I left.'

'Well,' the Viking said with difficulty, 'things can change in the space of a second.'

To Pam, the conversation was a horrendous waste of time. Still looking at the arrows nestled in a potholder, she was confused by the apparent fact that they seemed slightly dissolved, as if by acid. At least now she knew why he wasn't getting any better. Silver poisoning. The two words seemed to loom with inexorable vengeance.

'Scott, get Dr. Ludwig here right now. Thank fucking God she can pop around like the fairies.'

'Of course, Sheriff,' he said, before walking away to place the call. The king himself on the other hand, was perplexed.

'The arrows are out, aren't they? Why do I still feel so weak?'

It seemed that Pam couldn't give the reason without a tinge of fear in her voice. 'Silver poisoning.'

At that, Eric closed his eyes and let out an audible sigh. He could feel the burn in his body, though he had hoped it was only an effect of the sheer depth at which the arrows had penetrated. Thankfully though, Dr. Ludwig was standing in front of them after a few moments, owing to Scott's prompt and urgent call.

The ever-scowling doctor was flanked by the Royal Overseer and seven others, whom Eric recognized as constituents within Area Five.

'Well, let's see the damage Viking,' she said, kneeling down to his prone form and lifting his arm up for examination. After a few prods, a look at the slightly dissolved arrows and a shake of her head, Ludwig gave her diagnosis.

'Definitely silver poisoning. The arrows appear to be made of silver and some sort of additive, one that makes it dissolve on contact with vampire blood.'

'Can he get better?' Pam asked, not making any effort to hide how worried she was.

'He can,' the doctor said. 'Although, we will need to draw out the silver. Think of it like a dialysis. His blood needs cleaning and replacement, _fast_.'

'So we need to get donors?' Scott said suddenly.

Ludwig nodded in assent, but Eric was obviously having none of it.

'I will _not_ allow my bond with Sookie to be sullied. Procure True Blood instead,' the Viking said, before he dissolved into a fit of coughing.

'But Your Majesty, surely human blood will be...'

'Silence! Do as I say!' Eric bellowed out, obviously using up a great deal of strength to fuel his one outburst.

'Of course. I apologize, Sire,' Scott said, before he was cut off by Pam.

'_Fuck_ that. Sookie will understand, for crying out loud. She can handle it if you drink from others. Maybe a blood bag, I don't care. I will get you well, you understand me?' The agitated vampiress shot a dark look at her maker. The Viking returned it in equal measure.

Finally though, it was Dr. Ludwig who got the last word. 'He would benefit more,' she said, pointing at the Norse vampire, 'if it was his bonded's blood he consumed. Where is the sprightly little thing anyway?'

'She left,' Pam said in a deadpan voice.

'Well, get her back here. Time limit, two days. If she isn't here by then, the cleansing will deprive him of most of his blood and he'll die without replacement. So get her back,' the doctor said.

Soon enough, Ludwig opened up her nearby bag of medical equipment and proceeded to stick a syringe in the Norseman's arm. Pulling up the plunger, his tainted blood welled up into the clear plastic holder.

'Definitely some silver in here,' she said, examining the blood before she transferred it to a small vial. She quickly commanded Pam to carry Eric to bed after the drawing of his blood, a command which Pam obeyed without comment.

By the time the Viking's progeny was back downstairs, Scott was deep in conversation with the irritable Supe doctor.

'You make damn sure he drinks two of these tonight,' she said, handing him a number of vials with some dark blue liquid, nestled in a small case. 'It's a binding agent. The silver will attach itself to the molecules in that, so we can remove it more effectively. It will also help delay the spread and keep more of his blood pure.'

'What do we do about Sookie?' Pam asked, breaking into the conversation.

'I will write a letter to Her Majesty, informing her of the King's condition,' he said, handing the vials and their case to Pam.

'How will we get it to the Fae Realm? It's not exactly like you can send it to 123 Fae Realm or something like that,' Eric's progeny said.

'I observed the King writing something when he went to Fangtasia. I can assume that it is to Her Majesty, so perhaps he knows of how she can be contacted. I will ask him,' Scott said, before heading upstairs.

The Royal Overseer tuned in to the small groans he could hear, and soon enough, he was leaning towards his sovereign respectfully.

'Sire, do you know of how we may contact Her Majesty, such that we can inform her of your illness as well as to persuade her to come home?'

Eric coughed out some blood before he spoke, making Scott cringe. 'Nothing can be done for now. Prepare the letter,' he said in a strangled voice. 'Wait for the Prince's arrival tomorrow evening.'

'Yes Majesty,' the English vampire said, before heading back downstairs to do as he was instructed.

To replace him, Pam quickly flashed upstairs with the case of vials in hand. Kneeling beside her master, she removed the stopper on one vial and handed it to Eric.

'Dr. Ludwig says you have to drink this,' she said simply, full of distress at her maker's predicament. The blood spattered on his grey shirt did nothing to help matters at all.

Gingerly, Eric took the vial and drank the contents, cringing at the awful taste.

'One more, Master,' Pam said, handing him the remaining vial. When the Viking protested, she shoved the vial into his mouth and forced him to drink it.

'You'll pay for that,' he said, trying to make light of his present situation.

'I don't care,' she said. 'You had better get well. I've already told the Area vampires to bring me and Scott a coffin to sleep in, plus our laptops and work shit. We're not leaving you. _I'm_ not leaving you.'

He wasn't able to say anything in reply, since he dissolved into another coughing fit. At the sorry sight, a tear involuntarily came from Pam's eye, one which she didn't bother to wipe away as she continued looking at her maker.

With much difficulty, he reached out for her hand and held it tightly. 'I will get through this, Pam. Don't worry about me.'

'Eric, you know I can't do that.'

'All will be well, child. All will be well,' he said soothingly, before he let go of Pam's hand. 'Now go down to Scott and check on what he wrote to Sookie. If there's a problem, bring it to me. Otherwise, I need some rest.'

'Yes, Master,' she said, taking one last look at him before she exited and went downstairs, where Scott was busy finishing up the letter to his King's bonded.

The 410-year old immortal had taken to using a pen and some paper, in the absence of other methods. Pam waited for him to get it done, before she held out her palm. He handed it to her without much comment.

Not saying another word, she began to read.

_To Her Majesty, Queen Sookie of Louisiana and Mississippi_

_Care of His Royal Highness, Niall Brigant, Prince of the Fae_

_Your Majesty, _

_I am saddened to be the bearer of truly dire tidings. It is with the utmost regret and urgency that I inform you of the King's illness. _

_He was attacked by as-yet unidentified entities with silver arrows. His Majesty has sustained wounds on his arm and shoulder, as well as his ribs. Upon examination by Dr. Ludwig, he was diagnosed with silver poisoning. The honorable doctor also informed us that the silver had a dissolvent mixed with it, triggered by contact with vampire blood, hence his poisoning. _

_In addition, the doctor thought it best that he undergo a dialysis of sorts, to expunge the silver and for his blood to be replaced. The King is adamant that he should not drink from donors, and has insisted upon True Blood. _

_Contrary to this, Sheriff de Beaufort believes that human blood would be best. This was met with the King's refusal, which brings me to the point of this letter. _

_Dr. Ludwig believes that he would be best benefited by your presence, since it is your blood which will help him the most. Thus, we who are here, entreat you to return and aid in the care of His Majesty the King. _

_Most importantly, the doctor has predicted dire consequences (his death, Your Majesty,) should you not come home in the next two days. Hence, I myself plead for your urgent and favorable response to this correspondence._

_Please reply back with your preferred arrangements for your return, and I shall endeavor to do everything you request. _

_Your humble servant,_

_Scott Wilhelm Anderson_

_Royal Overseer of Louisiana and Mississippi_

'Good,' Pam said, once she finished. 'Go and send it.'

'Ah, Sheriff, the King says we must wait until tomorrow evening for the arrival of the Prince. I assume it is a scheduled visit, since His Majesty seems sure that the Prince would come.'

'Dear God, fuck this all to hell.'

'In the meantime, do you have orders? As the King's child, you are now regent within both his kingdoms, madam,' Scott said, trying to assuage Pam's anger.

'First of all, we wait for the Area vampires. When they get here, tell Gregory what's happened to Eric, and that we need his help to investigate this crap.'

'Of course, Sheriff. I will also send out an alert to the nearby monarchs to request assistance and free passage, should we ever need to go to their territories in the course of the investigation,' Scott said, watching Pam nod in approval.

It was not until half an hour later that the Area vampires had come, bringing the coffins and other security equipment to Bon Temps using a truck. After some time spent unloading and a few quick orders from Pam, the underling vampires had split up. Some had gone to carry out their Sheriff's edicts, while some had stayed behind to provide security.

Once their laptops were plugged in, Pam and Scott immediately got to work. To Eric' s progeny, the first order of business was getting daytime protection.

'Alcide Herveaux,' she said into the phone, after the Shreveport pack master had come through onto the other line.

'What do you want?'

'I will need you and your finest men to provide us with some protection. To be clear, this is not a request, dog,' she said. 'If you refuse, I am within my rights and my capacity to force your agreement, by _any_ means necessary.'

She was satisfied by his long sigh on the other line. 'Alright, I'll go tomorrow with four of my boys. You all in Bon Temps or Shreveport?'

'Bon Temps. Be here at 4 am, then the vampires will inform you of everything. They need to get to shelter, which is why you need to relieve them early,' Pam said.

'Fine,' he said sharply, before hanging up.

'What now, Sheriff?' Scott said as she put down her phone.

'Well now, we get to e-mailing everyone of importance. No one fucks with my maker and survives. I won't allow this,' she said seriously.

The Royal Overseer nodded in assent and promptly turned back to the messages he was composing on his laptop.

In the relative silence, he quickly caught Pam's whisper as he typed. 'Whoever did this, they're going to face a slow, gruesome death.'

Though he had never been one for violence, the immortal Englishman had found himself agreeing with her. Having learned first hand about the Viking's great leadership and fair methods, he truly did wish for his sovereign's wellness. As for Pam, nearly two centuries of loyalty and love filled her with dread and concern, all for the maker she dearly loved.

As if to taunt their hopes, both of them could head the sound of Eric's violent coughs from upstairs.

A/N There we are guys, the tenth chapter. I know it was shorter than my average chapters, but I broke it off there, so as not to infringe on the plot plan for the eleventh, which is a Sookie chapter.

As for my surprise for the correct guess on who did this, no one got it right yet. I take this as a good sign. I can still keep you guys on your toes! Lastly, if you guys have any requests or ideas you may want to see manifested in the story, just tell me so in your reviews or you can shoot me a PM whenever you want.

In any case, please let me know what you think through a review! Good luck guessing who was stupid enough to attack Eric!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N So guys, thanks by the way for all the amazing reviews you have been sending in. I appreciate all of them a lot. Also, the PMs I've received are just more proof of your engagement with this story, which is just awesome. Oh, and as I said, this is a Sookie chapter. Let's see how she reacts to the things in human realm.

With that, a special shoutout to the ones who have been with me throughout this story, as well as from the prequel. Thanks for sticking with me, you guys! A specific one goes to _onthegp_, who has sent in what is possibly one of the most amazing reviews I have ever received. All hail the Sookie Clobbering and the nice, long PMs. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 11

Sookie jolted awake from her sleep, only to find her great grandfather staring down at her with serious, baleful eyes. The Prince looked worried, a look which never suited him, in her opinion. Niall was also fidgeting a bit, slowly toying with the collar on his dark cloak.

'What is it, Grandpa?' she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. She was somewhat groggy, but was transitioning from sleep to wakefulness.

'Come now, we must attire you. You are going home this instant,' the Prince said, by way of explanation. Sookie also noticed a piece of paper in his hand.

With bright eyes, she inquired about the correspondence. 'Is that from Eric?'

'From Scott, actually. Now get up and get dressed, we will talk in my study,' he said, leaving her without another word. Sookie looked perplexed by his reaction, but Niall paid it no mind.

As the Prince walked to his nearby study, his mind was reeling at the news he was about to impart. He had come for his regular visit with the Viking at 7:30 pm, only to find that the king was suffering and in pain. The sight had been frightful and unexpected.

Obviously, from the time of injury up until his arrival, the Viking had worsened to an amazing degree. After Scott's brief explanation, the Prince had immediately left to jolt Sookie awake.

Despite his meetings with the Pythoness, she had never mentioned any such event occurring. This was a fact he found notable. He had been conversing with the seer quite a lot, and the things she had told him were quite run-of-the mill, except for the few ultimatums she had given. Truth be told, the ultimatums had been jarring.

As a distraction though, his great granddaughter arrived, wearing a pale blue dress and the bracelet he had given her as a gift. She bowed to him slightly, before taking her usual seat across from him. Taking a breath, the Prince prepared himself to deliver the tidings.

'The Viking has suffered an attack, my dear,' he said, without preamble. 'I have here a letter from the honorable Mr. Anderson, your overseer.'

The telepath took it from his outstretched hand and began to read. Suffice it to say, she was weeping by the end of the page.

'I need to get home right now,' she said, trying to control her sobbing.

'A last thing before you go, my dear. I will no longer be available to you too much. I have often come when you needed me, and I am afraid it creates too much dependence,' he said, taking a pause. 'I must heed the warning of the Pythoness. This matter is in her hands the moment you step back into the human world.'

'I understand, just get me home,' she said, already standing up.

The Fairy Prince nodded and gave her a medium sized flask of viscous gold liquid, which he had enhanced to contain strong healing properties. After she took it, he clasped his hand in hers and they both dematerialized, straight into the living room of her Bon Temps house.

The first person to greet them was Scott. 'Welcome home, Majesty. Thank you for coming so very soon. The King is upstairs with the Sheriff,' he said, looking pointedly at Niall.

The elder fairy took it as his cue to leave, after a brief kiss on Sookie's cheek. As for the telepath, she had nothing else on her mind except her bonded.

'Come now, madam. Time is of the essence,' the English vampire said, leading her up the stairs and into the bedroom she shared with Eric.

Clearly, Pam was a mixture of relieved and miffed. 'So you've finally come. See what you've reduced him to? Damn this all to hell.'

'Pam, leave us,' Eric said curtly, before he let out a few bloody coughs, his body wracked with tremors from the action. 'You too, Scott.'

The two scurried out, leaving Sookie alone with Eric. As soon as they were gone, the fairy telepath immediately knelt down beside her vampire. Downstairs, Pam had already placed a call to Dr. Ludwig regarding the fairy telepath's arrival.

'I came as soon as Grandpa told me,' Sookie said, placing a small kiss to his hands and then his cheek. The bruise-like markings on his arm made her cringe.

'I have missed you, my lover,' the Viking replied, trying his best to keep himself steady despite the pains in his body. 'Give me a kiss again, please.'

She did as he requested and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, before following it up with a kiss to his cheeks, forehead and jaw. Unable to fight her tears, she let them flow onto his face as she took in his gaunt appearance.

Her appraisal ended in a question, though she was pretty sure of his impending answer.

'Have you been feeding, Eric?'

He shook his head. 'I did not want to pollute our connection with the blood of others, Sookie.'

At his admission, she broke down into even more sobs. The guilt was eating at her immensely, consuming her soul in a cacophony of mirthless pain.

'Why on Earth did you do that? You should have drunk some if you needed it, I would've understood! Did you even try True Blood?'

'The taste was revolting. I simply could not keep it down,' he said, coughing once again. Sookie used this painful interlude as an opportunity to use her grandfather's gift.

She opened the top of the flask, familiar with the gold color. Niall had explained that it was for topical use and to minimize pain, so she poured some on her palm and took hold of his arm.

'What are you doing, lover?'

'Helping you,' she said, before rubbing the gel-like liquid onto the places where the arrows had struck. Immediately, the pain began to lessen, though the holes from the arrows didn't really close. As it was, even a little relief from the pain was a huge help.

For the first time in what seemed to be a very long time, Eric found himself experiencing milder pain. 'Thank you. Is this from the Prince?'

'Yeah, it is.'

Eric scoffed as he spoke. 'Well, at least the bastard is good for something.'

The telepath let the comment pass, knowing the enmity between her vampire and her grandfather. Thankfully though, the ensuing awkwardness was eradicated by the sound of the opening door.

It was Ludwig, carrying a small siphoning device, two catheters and two bowls. She was shortly followed by Pam, who took up position by the open doorway.

'Good thing you're here or he would've died in a few hours,' the doctor said to Sookie, not bothering with Eric's small glare. 'Now, let's get on with this.'

'What do I need to do?'

'Simple matter, little girl. We siphon out his blood and he feeds from you while we're doing it. If your blood isn't enough, we can use his child's as well.'

Turning her actions into words, the doctor took up position on Eric's other side and stuck one catheter into his arm, the other on his leg. Before she could do anything else though, she noticed the flask beside Sookie.

'Is that fairy salve?'

'Uh yes, from Grandpa Niall.'

'Good! Let me have some,' Ludwig said, before taking the proffered flask. She poured some on her hands and rubbed it on the places where the catheters were stuck in. 'The needles move a bit during the process. This will help keep his pain to an absolute minimum.'

'Just get on with it!' Pam said, already anxious for her maker's healing.

'Let me explain the process first,' she said, turning to the Viking. 'We will drain your blood first, to take out as much of the toxin as possible. When you start to get weaker, Sookie here will step in and you have to bite her on the neck. Pretty simple from then on.'

Seeing the vampire king nod, the doctor hooked up the catheters to the siphoning equipment, via the small attachments on the sides. She let the hose from the equipment rest on the first bowl.

'Get ready girly,' Ludwig said, as she looked straight into the telepath's eyes. After a moment, she pressed a small button and the process began.

Eric's groaned a bit but suffered pretty much in silence, as he was taught to do from childhood. As for Sookie, she tried to control her sobbing as her Viking's blood welled in huge rivulets, before flowing down continuously into the catch basins.

For Pam's part, she edged a little closer, carefully observing the entire process unfold. Dr. Ludwig was doing the same, making estimates in her mind regarding the quantity of the blood. After about three minutes, she turned to Eric's progeny.

'Go ahead, you need to replace some of it already. Stackhouse's blood will be better used when it's nearly over. That will be the better approach.'

Following the doctor's instructions, she knelt down and offered her wrist to Eric. The Norseman let his fangs elongate, biting smoothly into the skin of her wrist while Sookie looked on.

Ludwig kept a watchful eye, gladly noting the healthy tinge which was beginning to color Eric's skin. Though the Viking was still extraordinarily pale, the degree of paleness more resembled that of a normal vampire as the seconds ticked by.

'Alright, stop,' the Supe doctor said after a while, watching Pam withdraw her wrist. She quickly pressed the button again, and Eric's blood began to flow out once more.

As before, Dr. Ludwig trained her eyes on the basins, her mind working to estimate how much blood was already cleaned, and by what percentage. She did this for near five minutes, by which time Eric was already pale from blood loss, but in very little pain.

Inside the bowls, globules of silver floated on the surface of the Norseman's blood, effectively bound together by the medicine which Dr. Ludwig had administered. At least, a slender majority of his blood still flowed within him, as the particles had bound themselves to a limited amount.

'Your turn,' the doctor said, finally nudging Sookie forward.

The telepath knelt and leaned over, positioning her neck over Eric's waiting mouth. He pressed a languid kiss to the area, followed by a quick lick of his tongue, before he sank his fangs in and began to drink heavily.

In that instant, a multitude of things happened.

Their bond, which had been weakened by distance and nearly fully severed on the Viking's end, began to knit itself back together. As for Eric, he was floating on a glorious feeling of euphoria, his ebbing pain masked by the sweetness of the blood beginning to suffuse him.

He was making little noises of pleasure, holding her neck with his free hand as he drank. All too soon though, the experience was cut short by Dr. Ludwig's sharp command.

'Enough now, you two,' she said, carefully prying the pair apart. She applied some of the salve to the punctures on Sookie's neck, sealing them in three seconds flat. Afterwards, she inspected the blood in the bowls, before addressing Eric.

'Are you still in pain, Viking?'

'No. No more, thank the gods.'

'Good,' she said, before carefully removing the catheters. The doctor turned her head towards Pam and pointed at the filled basins. 'Dispose of that, please.'

Eric's progeny nodded, using vampire speed to do as she was told. Now healed, the Nordic vampire obviously had other things on his mind.

'Get out, doctor,' he said. 'Scott will see to your invoice.'

'Horny bastard,' Ludwig said, before exiting with a scoff, her tools in tow. 'I'll close the door for you,' she said with some snarky undertones. _You just want me gone because you want to fuck her to death. Goddamn it, _the doctor's mind added internally.

Soon enough though, the door was closed and the two were undeniably alone together.

'You look lovely, by the way,' Eric said, taking in the sight of his bonded. 'You have grown more beautiful in the time we've spent apart.'

'I'm very happy you're well now, and I'm sorry for our fight,' she said, not lacing her tone with any accoutrements. To her, it was a statement of pure fact.

'Well, you can prove your apology through actions. I will endeavor also to do the same,' he said, copying the tone and neutrality of her statement. 'Come sit beside me, lover.'

Sookie did as asked, seating herself on the edge of their bloodstained bed. 'Grandpa Niall just said something you'll like, then.'

'Oh? And what might that be?'

'Grandpa will try his best to limit his visits. He said something about a warning from the Pythoness,' Sookie answered.

_Well, it seems Her Grace is making good on her promise to be on my side, _he thought.

'Good news indeed, lover. Now tell me, what have you been up to with the old coot anyway?'

'Like I said in the letter I sent, he taught me a lot about our family history. Apparently I have a long title in the Supe world. _Her Royal Majesty, Sookie Brigant, Princess of the Fae, Queen of the Vampire Kingdoms of Louisiana and Mississippi._'

'Mouthful.'

Sookie couldn't help but laugh. 'Exactly what I said.'

'Anything else besides a history lesson?'

'Well, we helped quash the civil war and I did some weapons training with Uncle Dermot. On the magic side, Grandpa taught me to strengthen my spark, plus some useful skills,' she said, taking a short pause. 'Stuff like cloaking, transference and teleportation across big distances.'

Eric nodded, before pulling her on top of him. 'Did you meet anyone I should know about?'

_He will soon find himself torn into pieces if I find offense, _he thought.

'Nope. For the most part I was with Grandpa and Uncle Dermot. I saw Claude, he was pitiful there, cleaning stables.'

'Good,' Eric said with satisfaction, before capturing her lips in a kiss.

It was a kiss meant to dominate, to establish that Sookie was his and his alone. As his tongue plundered the cavern of her mouth, he found his fangs protracting at the stimulation. Taking advantage, the telepath pressed her tongue against the tip. Within moments, Eric was viciously taking every drop into his system.

'Well that was unexpected,' Sookie said, after they had separated for the sake of oxygen.

'You should know better than to play with fire, my dear one,' he said, before closing his eyes and reaching out to Pam through their maker-child tie.

Seven seconds passed before she was standing in front of them, near the foot of the bed. 'Something you need, Master?'

'Tell Scott to send a reparations request to Niall, then you go procure a week's worth of food for Sookie, plus some True Blood for me. Get me a new laptop, mine is slightly broken from impact and what not. Who's on security?'

'Herveaux and his Weres, Eric. The Area vampires will be providing rotating security throughout the night until 4 in the morning.'

At that point, Sookie piped in. 'Uh, Grandpa insists that I have at least two guards. Alvar and Calixto most likely, since I know I can trust them.'

'We will talk of that later, lover. Pam, good work.'

'Of course, Master,' the English vampiress said, before turning on her heel.

'And Pam?'

'Yes?'

'Thank for protecting me and being here when I needed you,' Eric said, smiling tenderly at his child, before composing his face into its usual even mask.

'Anytime, Eric. Anytime,' she said with a smile, before glancing a little disdainfully at Sookie upon her exit.

As for Sookie's she got off of her vampire and sat in the nearby chair.

'What's the matter, sweetheart?'

'It kills me to know how close you brushed with death, and the fact that I wasn't here just makes it even worse. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself.' She ended her admission with a careful shake of her head.

'Time heals all wounds, my love,' Eric said, sitting upright on the bed. 'We will have to forgive ourselves and then each other.'

'I get it. But I really don't think I'll forgive myself for what I've done to you,' the telepath said, closing her eyes.

The Nordic vampire took a moment to think of his reply. 'Then we must talk, lover. We will resolve this and learn from it. Come now, sit beside your Viking. I want to hold you.'

'Eric…'

'Do not refuse me Sookie,' he said, his voice commanding even in its softness. The fairy telepath found herself unable to resist.

She soon took her place beside him, leaning carefully against his chest. A moment after though, an idea popped into her head.

'Get up, Eric. I'll bathe you,' she said, smiling when he acquiesced to her request.

Leading him into the bathroom, she walked past the shower area and into the bathtub, which they weren't really using too much. She slowly took off his bloodied clothes, still in awe of his physical magnificence.

'In you go,' she said, turning on the faucet and watching as the tub filled.

Once it was halfway full, she began her task with his head, using the portable showerhead to wet his short golden locks. She then took a bottle of shampoo and massaged it into his hair, listening intently to the sounds of satisfaction he was making.

Afterwards, she led him to stand under the shower, taking the soap from the nearby niche.

'You are still clothed, my lover,' he said.

'Well, this isn't about me. This is about you being taken care of,' she said, using the soap to scrub him thoroughly, from his neck downwards.

Sookie's subsequent movements were careful and tender, all the way until she was drying him with one of the white towels. Once he was dry, she conjured him a black dress shirt and dark-wash jeans, with the accompanying shoes.

For herself, she changed from her fairy dress to a more normal one, still with a pale blue hue. She had replaced her grandfather's bracelet with a necklace, also from him. Once that was done, she tenderly took Eric's hand and headed downstairs. The sight reinforced the growing sense of normalcy within the fairy telepath, a fact which she liked.

Evidently, Scott had converted the dining room into a makeshift work desk, since his laptop was on along with a pile of papers beside him. Pam was doing the same, sharing the other half of the wooden workspace.

Full of resolve, Sookie addressed everyone around her in a clear voice.

'I regret having been gone when I was most needed. When I was in the Fae Realm however, I learned some very crucial things. One of the most important lessons I had was on respect,' she said, addressing the small crowd around her.

Soon enough, she stood in front of Eric and unclasped her necklace, before laying it at his feet. 'It's customary to those in the Fae Realm to present things of value to their sovereign, an act which I saw a lot with my great grandfather.'

'Where are you going with this, dear one?'

'Let me do this,' she said to her vampire, before continuing her earlier speech. 'So now I'm doing the same, manifesting the customs of the Fae. I am giving something from me to the man I consider my sovereign.'

At last, she knelt down in front of Eric. 'Eric. Grandfather taught me that to the Fae, there is a gesture which most other supernatural races recognize, including vampires. This is our ultimate sign of respect and fealty, done only when we want to express our devotion.'

Finally, she kissed his feet. 'Among my kind, I'm considered part of the Royal Family. I have been taught to embrace this, but right now I won't,' she said, looking up at Eric for the final part of her declaration.

'With that kiss comes a promise. I pledge my fealty to His Royal Majesty, Eric Northman, King of Louisiana and Mississippi. I pledge myself to his person and his protection as best as I am able. I also declare myself his by irrevocable right, according to the recognized laws that bind supernatural races.'

Everyone was stunned as Sookie stood up again. The four vampire guards, as well as Pam and Scott were floored by the sincerity of her tone. Pam most especially, knew how much of a leap it was for Sookie to submit this totally to her Master.

As for Scott, he was unmoving, waiting for what Eric would do next.

'I accept your pledge,' the Viking said simply, pulling Sookie upwards into a long embrace. A moment later though, he sped with her back to the bedroom, cornering her against the closed door. 'I will never want to see you kneel like that to me, lover. You are not some low thrall.'

'Like you said, we can prove it by actions, and for me this is the first of many. Since Grandpa told me about that, I've thought of only one person to pledge myself to, and that's you.'

'That means more to me than you will ever comprehend. I will love you forever.'

'I love you too, Eric,' she said, giving him yet another kiss. 'Now let me show you.'

A/N I know, I know. Fucking cruel cliffhanger. Drop a review and let me know what you think. To the awesome _onthegp_, you will see your power in action within the next chapter! See you all in the next chapter, which will shed a lot of light into important changes. Next up on the plate, the Coronation and a very important talk ahead.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Seriously guys, can you all be any more awesome? I have read every single one of your reviews, and right now I am floating on an Eric-shaped cloud. Thank you for every single word of encouragement, every snippet of praise and every thought-provoking comment. You guys really get my mind working, which is why I really love you all.

PS. None of you have guessed right on who did this to Eric. I feel sort of good for keeping you on your toes here. Prepare for the talk!

Chapter 12

The moment the words were out of Sookie's mouth, Eric found himself in a definite quandary.

On one hand, he wanted to talk and resolve the issues between them. He felt that a clearing of the air was necessary, in order for them to normalize more rapidly than before. There were a lot of things to talk about, after all.

On the other hand, he wanted to lay her before him and fuck her senseless. Quite until she had forgotten her own name, and perhaps even his. To him, there were definite merits to the idea. Besides, he had been starved of her presence for longer than he ever wanted.

Suddenly, it was his bonded's voice he heard in his ears. 'Is there something wrong, Eric?'

He hadn't even been aware that he'd zoned out. To him, his calculations had been instantaneous but confusing. 'You want the truth, lover?'

'Of course. If you don't want to tell me, then don't. If you do tell me, I want the truth.'

'Here it is. I don't really know whether I should talk to you or fuck you. How fucking crazy is that. I am actually picking between talking and sex,' he said, straightening his posture. 'I would pick sex, but a brush with death certainly changes one's perspective.'

At that admission, Sookie let out a laugh and pulled Eric along onto the bed. Once he was lying down, she sat by his side and stroked his hair for a while, before giving him another kiss that promised good things to come.

'You know what? We'll talk first,' she said. 'We should deal with every issue between us before anything else, since I think that's most important. We can have lots of nice make-up sex later.'

The Nordic vampire nodded with a smile, before leaning upwards to place a return kiss on his lover's lips. Quite unlike his earlier kisses, this one had been tender and sweet, with his hands cradling the sides of her face. It was the affectionate physical expression of an apology he voiced out only seconds later.

'I am sorry for how I undermined your independence and importance when we fought. My temper is mercurial as you know, and my vampire instincts are deeply ingrained,' he said, filling his tone with gentleness. 'I will try my hardest to change for both our sakes.'

'I understand what you did, Eric. Sure took me a long time and a verbal tirade from Niall to boot, but I understand. It's how you've been for the past thousand years and it's still how you are even now. I _have _forgiven you,' she said, taking a pause and waiting for her acceptance to sink in.

Certainly, the smile that lit up his face was understated. It wasn't a huge grin, reminiscent of youthful innocence and similar concepts. Rather, it was filled with a deep, glad calmness. In other words, his answering smile was just like him. Quiet, but fierce.

'Thank you,' he said simply. 'Thank you, my lover, for finally showing me the understanding I have so long worked to find. You will never know how happy that has made me.'

The fairy telepath spoke her piece. 'As for my end, I'm sorry that I fought you tooth and nail through it all. I never really looked at things from your end in most situations, which is something I'm sure I need to change. I've been a hypocrite, it seems.'

'Don't sell yourself short, my love. You have many good traits, ones which I value and adore.'

'But I happen to think it's true. I find myself dwarfed by how long you've been around. Being so young compared to you, I often forget just how much more you know than I do. I never really valued that in the way you deserve, you know?'

The vampire took some time to think on his response. 'I admit, I also find myself wishing you would just acquiesce to me. Having been here for so long, I cannot help but think I always know best,' he said seriously, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'But then, the fire and tenacity with which you fight for your beliefs? They astound me. I am awed by the strength you've displayed, though I often forget it in the face of my decision-making.'

'I think that's what it is between us. You always think you know best so you forget that sometimes I might know a better way. For me, I don't readily accept that you're correct nearly all the time,' she said, running a finger down his cheek. 'It makes you press your decisions _really_ hard, while it makes me fight them like _hell_.'

'Very astute, lover. We should amend our behavior. I will open myself more to your input, while you must also accept and think about the many merits of my decision process. And we should talk things out instead of running or getting uselessly angry.'

'Exactly. That's our new deal.'

At the word _deal,_ the Viking's eyes lit up immeasurably and he filled his voice with provocative tones of seduction. 'Let us seal the deal with a _very _long kiss, my sweetling.'

'As my sovereign commands,' Sookie said, a little theatrically.

Before long, their mouths crashed against each other. Eric ran his tongue along Sookie's bottom lip, silently seeking entrance which she readily granted. Soon enough, their tongues plundered each other, separating once in a while. After a seeming eternity, they finally broke apart to continue their discussion.

'You really do consider me as your sovereign, your king?'

'Of course I do, Eric. I meant what I said. Though I spent a relatively short time in the Fae Realm, I used up most of it in long reflection sessions. After Grandpa taught me about rules of respect in the Supe world, my mind naturally gravitated to you,' she said, pointing at him.

'And?'

'I realized that if any Supe was worthy of my respect, it was you. So I asked the Prince about the deepest sign of respect I could show to you, so he taught me that whole fealty thing. I wanted to make it official,' she said in ending.

Unlike before, his smile was now completely on display. To Sookie, it was nearly heartbreaking in its beauty. Add to that, tones of contentment and happiness were flooding their bond, heavily tinged with love and adoration. Everything she could feel from his end, she simply sent back in equal measure.

'I know how hard it must have been for you to do that, to kiss my feet so submissively and pledge yourself as mine. I will treasure your gift always, I promise you,' he said, after a long moment of thought.

'Thank you. You know, it did go against a lot of the values I grew up with, being American and all. But I did come to think about it a lot when I was away. Somehow, the idea of being _yours _just clicked. I suddenly understood all that _you are mine _drama that we used to fight about. God, how far I've come.'

'Indeed. I am almost tempted to pull a cliché and ask you, _who are you and what have you done with Sookie Stackhouse?_ The word _mine _coming from me is an anathema to you, after all,' he said with a chuckle.

'Hey now, don't get too happy, Northman. You know, somehow it fucking took my great grandfather to explain it all. He even called me out on how I thought of you as mine,' she said, punching his arm slightly.

He laughed a bit at that, before his tone got derisive. 'Well, we have something to thank the Prince for, it seems. He explained all the possessiveness to you. It's one achievement in a horribly short list.'

'You never will like him, will you?'

'Nope,' he said emphatically. 'Vampires and fairies just don't mix.'

'Not even you and I?' Sookie said teasingly, before Eric used his speed to put her under him.

'I think you'll find that we mix very well indeed, my little fairy,' he said, before hungrily devouring her mouth. His actions were like those of a man starved, where his bonded became the most appealing display of food.

Not missing a beat, he divested himself of his shirt, the black piece of clothing falling haphazardly to the floor. Now shirtless, the Viking turned his attention to worshiping Sookie's neck, showering it with a multitude of kisses and nips.

'Aren't we supposed to be talking?' she managed to say, in between deep breaths and the pooling of moisture in between her thighs.

'I think my shirtless state can answer that question, lover.'

'I don't think it can, Eric,' she said in reply, still finding enough control to actually tease him.

'Just shut up, you infuriating woman,' he said, shocking her into silence as he ripped off her dress, before hurriedly removing his jeans.

With that, the Viking vampire returned to his impassioned devotion to his bonded. His lips found their place on her chest, placing little kisses on the valley of her breasts, before he hungrily took one into his mouth, using his hand to pay homage to the other. Sookie could only moan as he played her like a virtuoso would do with a prized instrument.

'Fucking missed you so much,' he bit out, groaning at the contact between his naked skin and hers. Even more so with the friction of her clothed wetness against his length. 'Tell me you missed me too, lover.'

'More than you'll ever know,' she said raggedly, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, placing kisses on any part of him which she had close access to.

Soon enough though, he was already in motion and moving downwards, blazing a trail of fire upon her already-heated skin. Whatever he could reach, he resolutely worshiped, either with his hands, his mouth or a combination of both.

As for Sookie, she was rapidly degenerating into a whirlwind of sensation. 'Eric, get a move on, will you?' she said all of a sudden, seeking his attentions where she needed it the most.

'As my lady commands,' he said, before shredding her panties with his teeth. Another second passed, and then his mouth was bearing down on her with impossible ferocity.

At the first contact, she dissolved into incoherence. For her, everything had been reduced to that single point where his talented mouth met her aching core. With his tongue probing into her insistently, as well as the deprivation she had endured without him, it didn't take too long before she found herself on the edge of release.

As if he could sense it, Eric was already doubling his efforts and using his fingers, while keeping an eye on the blaring currents of need within their bond. Once he felt she was suitably close, he nuzzled her inner thigh and bit down.

Once his fangs pierced through her skin, Sookie Stackhouse was undeniably done for. The fact was proven by her shouting of Eric's name, loud enough to make Scott momentarily stop his work downstairs.

'Such sweet blood,' Eric said reverently, withdrawing his fangs to hungrily lick up the fluids of her release. 'And combined with that, the taste is simply intoxicating.'

Sookie could do nothing but let out a satisfied sigh, feeling as if she had lost all her mental and physical faculties. 'Lord in heaven, you really are a sex god,' she ended up saying, suddenly feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

Her admission got her a smirk and the sound of Eric's rumbling laughter. He didn't laugh too long though, since the telepath now seemed to be contemplating something.

'What are you thinking of, my darling fairy?'

'Returning the favor,' she said, before she flipped him over and began to place kisses on his neck and shoulder blades.

For a moment, she found herself amazed at the sheer magnificence of his body. Her eyes seemed to have decided to gaze permanently at his toned chest, his strong jaw, even his impeccably golden head of hair.

'Lover, remember to breathe now,' he said in amusement, once he noticed her intent stare.

His teasing made her smile, though she soon put herself into _Sexy Payback _mode. Giving him a final kiss on the lips, she began to blaze her own trail along his body, ending just a few inches shy of where he craved her desperately. Such was his craving that he actually bucked up slightly in an effort to secure her continuation.

'Well someone's certainly eager,' she said, trying to move back up his body. Eric was clearly having none of it.

He fixed her with a puppy-dog stare, although this one was akin to the hyped up, steroidal version of the act. His blue eyes were soft, somewhat caressing in their gentleness. Meanwhile, he intoned his voice with aching want.

'Please, my lover. You have no idea how much I have wanted this.'

To his relief, the telepath pressed a kiss to his navel, before she moved down to take his hard shaft into her mouth. The heat emanating from her made him groan.

'Gods help me,' he said, in a voice strangled by need and lust.

Clearly, Sookie had not lost her touch, since he was dissolving into a chorus of low growls. Her head bobbed up and down in rhythm, while she used her nails on scratch his thighs a bit as she sucked him with vigorous effort.

'You like that, don't you?' she said in a low whisper, before slowly running her tongue down the underside of his stiff cock. Afterwards, she added her hands to the mix again, pumping him at a steady, fast pace.

'Fuck! Ah, yes, of course I do,' he said, now beginning to buck into her mouth as he groaned loudly. A particularly deep draw made him shudder. 'No, no. I will _not_ be ending down your throat, Sookie.'

'Is that so?' she said, releasing his length from the hold of her mouth and hands.

'Yes, it's so,' he said, before using vampire speed to impale himself to the hilt inside her. The sudden intrusion was a bit surprising, but not unpleasant in the least. He was now resting on top of her, giving her some time to adjust to his speedy invasion.

'Eric, move damn it, or I'll die,' she said after a moment, already using her nails on his back, to prod him into action. He took her words as his cue, not bothering to be slow or gentle.

'I can't be soft now, lover. I promise to be more gentle next time, but right now I need you too much,' he said, as he thrust inside her mercilessly, only to pull out and drive himself back in.

She nodded, gripping onto him with a resolute amount of strength, while Eric continued his frantic and forceful movement. Even the sturdy bed was beginning to creak under the inflamed passion of their coupling.

'Oh God, shit,' she said, when he had hit her sweet spot. He had clued into her reaction, repeating his stroke with force and precision. 'Ungh, Jesus, Eric!'

'My sweet little fairy, my beautiful lover,' he whispered, while his hands and lips continued to prove the depth of his need for her. 'I fucking want you so badly.'

'Want you too, all the damn time,' she said rather hastily, raking her nails down his back as he continued to increase his speed and force, quite exponentially. He had also lifted her legs a bit, hooking his arms underneath to hit a different spot inside her.

Lost in their own private bubble, it seemed as if the only beings in the world were the two of them. If ever she had caused him injury with her nails, he clearly didn't care. As for Sookie, she had no qualms with his forcefulness, nor his constant nips and rough kisses. Truthfully, there was no other thought in their minds except the pursuit of the pleasure they mutually desired.

For the pair, the only markers of passing time were the changes in their passionate joining. Eric's thrusts were losing their rhythm, instead growing increasingly disjointed and deep. Meanwhile, Sookie's cries were growing louder, while her lips and hands latched on to the nearest parts of his gloriously perfect anatomy.

'Fuck, what are you doing to me?' he said, feeling her walls clench his cock in an unbelievably delicious way. He could also feel his approaching climax. 'I need to hear you say it, Sookie. I swear, I'll come just from the words.'

Sookie, who was also teetering on the edge of oblivion, knew exactly what he wanted. 'I love you Eric, and I belong to you completely. I'm yours.'

'As I am yours. I love you always.' In the next instant, he had already sunk his fangs into the nearest artery, greedily drinking from her neck.

At the first pull of her blood, they both lost themselves, falling from the highest precipice of pleasure. Sometime later he withdrew from her neck, having completely spent himself inside her, still thrusting as he rode out the aftershocks. His loud roar of completion had matched Sookie's scream quite well.

Downstairs, Pam was carefully shaking her head as she finished typing up a reply to Gregory's e-mail. Having known her maker's skills and his devotion to Sookie, she wasn't really surprised that they had been unable to resist a passionate bout, as always.

Scott however, was still quite shaken from the sounds. Putting aside his latest letter, he turned to the vampiress beside him. 'Are they always that loud?'

'You have no idea, Scott. You have no _fucking_ idea just how loud those two can be.'

With that, Pam scratched her jaw a bit and went right back to work, quite happy that her maker and his bonded were now back on their regularly scheduled programming.

Oh yes. They were fucking like bunnies on crack, bringing the house down with their screams. To Pam, all was right in the world again.

A/N There we go. A proper, adult talk, with a good new resolution to work for. In addition, just because we needed to see them go at it, also an unhealthy dose of smut. Next up, a bit of fluff for the two lovers, plus a helpful amount of counsel before the Pythoness turns her attention to helping catch the motherfucker who shot Eric. Also, a small talk between our favorite Viking and his snarky progeny!

Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapter through a review. The most _thought-provoking_ one earns its owner a surprise, so do your best! Make like Eric and try to get my head spinning! See you all in Chapter 13!

PS. Definition of thought-provoking review - something that makes me rethink the angles, see things from a hugely different perspective, maybe even rewrite a scene because your reactions got me to see how the chapter could be improved!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N First things first guys. I am just blown away by how engaged you guys are. I mean, look at your reviews and imagine how I feel. At one point or another, they've restructured the story, showed me a new angle or a new idea for content that might help the story be more rounded.

It's just amazing to me. Really blown away here and thank you for everything. So, read through this chapter, and check out some of your ideas manifested. I hope I've done them justice!

Plot point for this chapter is rectification on the vampire side of things, plus we will see to the return of Sookie's fairy guards. Also, Eric has a beef with his progeny that needs fixing.

Chapter 13

By one-thirty in the afternoon, Sookie woke up with the weight of Eric's limbs wrapped around her own. As always, the weight of his body was comforting, filling her with a sense of being protected by his strength and virility.

She spent some more time just lying there in his embrace, but eventually decided to wriggle out from under his hold, intending to shower and dress. All well and good, since she heard a knock on her door roughly fifty minutes later.

Thankfully, she was already wearing a lavender sun dress and some comfortable white flats by that time. She also wore a bracelet from her great grandfather.

Opening the door, she saw the familiar face of Calixto staring back at her. He was dressed rather casually, in a blue tee with jeans and Converse sneakers. The only mismatch was the sword strapped to his side. It made her giggle for a second.

'I was wondering when you would show up,' she said, giving him a sincere smile of welcome.

He bowed at her greeting and spoke in his usual, melodic lilt. 'It makes me happy to be here again, my lady. Truthfully, you didn't really seem happy in our realm.'

'Well, any place without Eric will always put a damper on my full happiness,' she said, striding out to the upstairs hallway. 'Your brother's here too, isn't he?'

'He is downstairs, Lady Sookie. Cleaning up the remaining debris and what not. Also, he and I sent the Weres away. They resisted for a while, so Alvar and I had to explain a lot to them. Is this acceptable to you?'

'Yeah, it's fine. Now come on you brown-haired fairy, I'm hungry,' she said, before teleporting to the kitchen, shortly followed by her attentive guard.

'What would you like to have for today, Your Highness?' he said, addressing her by her lighter, though still formal title in the Fae Realm.

'Anything will be fine. And call Alvar please, the three of us need to talk,' she said, giving him a gently dismissive gesture.

He walked off to get his brother first, pointing to an empty seat at the table. Once the raven-haired warrior was seated, Calixto waved his hand over the table, conjuring a great assortment of Southern staples.

There was a chicken casserole, some salad, a pitcher of grape juice and an apple pie. The places had also been set, courtesy of his magic. Afterwards, he sat down across Alvar and turned to Sookie with a serious look in his eyes.

'What will we be talking about, my lady?' he said, watching as she poured herself some juice.

The telepath took a sip and composed herself before speaking. 'Last night, I swore fealty to Eric, recognizing him as my king. That may come as something of a shock but I did it. That brings me to the subject of you both. I'd like you to do the same.'

'But Your Highness, our loyalty is to you,' Alvar explained in a matter-of-factly tone.

'As I see it, you two are supposed to be protecting me. Protecting me also involves protecting Eric at all costs. He and I are on unequal ground if you two threaten him on my account,' she said in reply, putting some casserole onto her plate.

Calixto took quite a bit of time to think on his answer. After a sip of the grape juice and a look at his brother, he finally spoke. 'I am indeed sworn to protect you, Lady Sookie. With that oath comes a responsibility to accommodate your requests, within reason. I think it only reasonable that we protect the Viking as well. I will do as you ask.'

'I as well, my lady,' Alvar said, after a moment of reflection.

'Thank you,' the telepath said, looking at her two guards. 'I see no reason why you can't swear fealty to us both. I just think that Eric deserves your loyalty. He is my bonded after all, so you need to be loyal to him, just as you are to me.'

Both guards agreed by way of a nod, but Alvar chose to speak up on what he felt was a vital point. 'We will do as you ask, Lady Sookie. However, we will always put your commands above his. If you assent to him then we will assent as well, but if your opinions differ, we are duty-bound to put you above him.'

'That is true, madam. We will swear our loyalty and protection to him, but such is the nature of things. Your commands will always hold greater weight, but I make a personal promise not to threaten him, nor to do anything untoward,' Calixto said, putting pie into his mouth.

Sookie sighed. 'I knew you would say that. Here's the thing, you guys. Swear your fealty, equalize your loyalty for both of us, protect him just as fiercely as you do with me, and then we can work out the rest.'

Alvar and Calixto nodded, effectively putting an end to their serious exchange. The conversation turned to other topics and Sookie inquired after her great grandfather. Mostly though, the guards had reported the return of relative peace to the Fae Realm, except for an isolated assassination attempt on one of Niall's advisers and her uncle's recent injury in battle.

Despite such news, the next topics were considerably lighter, so the time passed companionably between the table's occupants.

Once the dishes were cleared at about 3:10, Alvar excused himself to continue cleaning up the house and to patrol the main level. In contrast, Calixto followed his mistress and went to stand in the middle of the second floor hallway.

'I will be protecting you and the king, as well as his resting progeny and the overseer, from what the Weres told us earlier,' he said in reassurance, bowing as Sookie returned to the privacy of her shared bedroom with Eric.

Once inside, she immediately set about getting the room cleaned as best as she could, using her magic and pure physical effort to get things back in their proper places. Magical repairs were done to the cracked window sills, the torn curtains and the like, before she finally turned her attention to taking care of her vampire.

The telepath laid out fresh clothes for the Viking, consisting of a gray tee and dark jeans, coupled with his usual leather jacket and nicely-shined shoes.

By 3:25, she was sitting beside him in anticipation, knowing that the return of their bond and blood exchanges would also cause his earlier waking times to come back.

Unable to resist, she pressed soft kisses on his forehead and cheek, before paying some attention to his neck. The very last stop was his lips.

'What a nice way to be woken, lover,' the Viking said, after some time.

'What can I say? You're hot,' she said, pulling him up for a hug. 'Slept well?'

'Like the dead,' he replied, nuzzling her neck and jaw. 'I see the room has improved.'

'Well, Alvar and Calixto are outside. I think they got here this morning and sent away the Weres that you guys called for daytime security,' she said. 'We just finished a late lunch, and then Alvar has been cleaning up with his powers. I did the same for our bedroom.'

The Nordic vampire simply couldn't resist a scoff. 'If the fairy presence just _cannot _be obliterated, at least I trust them more than any other fairies.'

'Calixto's proving his worth. He's outside guarding us and the others. Scott has been good to us, plus I know how much you want Pam safe.'

Eric's eyes went a bit dark at the last part. 'Pamela and I have a talk to get to, you know. I disapprove entirely of her disrespect for you. It cannot be allowed.'

Sookie laid a soothing hand on his arm, giving him a brief kiss on the lips. 'She was hurt that I wasn't here when you needed me. She's single-minded when it comes to your welfare, you know that. Her only concern is you and uh, her shoes.'

'I get that she feels a little hurt that you weren't here, but she has no right to disrespect you for things she knows nothing about.' At that, he began to tinge the bond with remorse. 'I am at fault for you leaving, and I regret I didn't get the chance to explain that to her.'

'Then, we'll just have to talk it out,' Sookie said, kicking off her shoes and snuggling securely against his still-naked body. 'There are so many problems we can solve by talking things out. I've sure learned _that_.'

Eric showered her face, neck and shoulders with gentle kisses, but his tone of voice didn't change one bit. 'She and I will talk it out. Just let me deal with this.'

'I guess you know best. She is your child after all.'

'Indeed, my lover. Now, is there still anything of importance we need to discuss?' He leaned back against the headboard and looked at her appraisingly.

'Nothing to talk about at the moment, but there is something that needs to be done. And no, it's not any sort of filthy escapade,' she said, watching his eyes go from excited to deflated within the space of two seconds.

'And here I thought we were about to have some fun,' the Viking said, doing his best to put a pout on his face. He also let out a small whine, just for good measure.

Sookie laughed a bit at his apparent disappointment, before giving him a kiss to tide him over. Right now, she felt there were more important things to do, specifically the completion of the fealty ceremony with the guards.

'Come on, get dressed. You need to get down with to the living room,' she said, pointing to the clothes and pulling on his arm. 'And just so you don't get any ideas, I'm going down ahead of you. Dress in peace, oh mighty Viking.'

At that, the Norseman couldn't suppress a laugh, so he gave her a peck on the cheek before grabbing the pants. Soon enough, Sookie was already out of the room via teleportation.

'Is everything alright, Your Highness?' Alvar asked, once she had materialized in the living room, approximately five meters from him.

'No, everything's fine. We're just gonna do the fealty ceremony right now. After that, you and Calixto can ward the house. It will be good to add that to the cloaks,' she said, conjuring a glass of juice. 'I won't allow anything else to happen to Eric.'

'Of course, madam. I shall fetch my brother,' he said, before walking rather normally upstairs.

Momentarily alone, the fairy telepath contemplated how far she had come. Her time in the Fae Realm had taught her to let go of human convention, in favor of the newer rules that governed her life. In addition, from the horrors of Bill to the wonder of being with Eric, she had grown to become more passionate, more able to defend and protect what she considered significant.

The most significant person in her life being the one now standing before her.

'What do you have in mind, my sweet one?'

'I think it's better to show, not tell,' she said, calling her two fairy guards forward.

Noticing her gesture, the fairy brothers moved to stand in front of Eric with their sword drawn. For a moment, the vampire went into defense mode, until Alvar and Calixto knelt with their weapons held in front of them.

'What on Earth is this?' the Viking asked, looking a bit curious.

In the next second, the pair of fairies provided the answer to the question, their heads bowed in clear, loyal submission.

'We pledge our fealty to Eric Northman, King of Louisiana and Mississippi, consort to Her Royal Highness, Princess Sookie Brigant of the Fae. We offer him our loyalty and protection, our service and honesty. May we keep this pledge in its entire honor, or else suffer the consequences of its betrayal,' they said, ending with a reverent kiss to Eric's rings.

'I accept the pledge,' Eric said solemnly, watching both warriors rise to their feet. 'Though I have to ask, what brought this on?'

This time, it was Sookie who piped in. 'New deal, remember? We need to be equal. Plus, we still need to find out who shot you, so we need these two on their full alert not just for me.'

'Indeed, Your Majesty. A threat to your life cannot be allowed to persist,' Calixto said, surprising Eric. Previously, the brown-haired guard's main concern had always been his bonded.

'And what of me being consort?' the Nordic vampire said.

It was Alvar who spoke next. 'Prince Niall has seen fit to proclaim you Prince Consort to Lady Sookie, as is protocol for the male mate of one in the Royal Family.'

'Whoa, when did this happen, Alvar?' Sookie said, a little shocked.

'The Prince made the announcement some time after you left the Realm, my lady. He feels that despite the King's vampiric nature, this is his appropriate title as per his bond to you. It is only applicable in the Fae Realm as an added title to his kingship.'

If ever Eric was surprised, he certainly didn't show it. Instead, his blue eyes took on a darker hue, which belied the seriousness behind his musings. He was fine with it, as long as it didn't remain his official title in the human world. A vampire king as Prince Consort in the Fae Realm would mean murmurings and questions on his loyalty to his kind.

'It's not as if there's anything to be done,' he said finally, taking a seat beside Sookie on the living room couch. 'We must turn to other matters.'

'Well then, here is a package of interest here for you, Your Majesty,' Calixto said, already holding out a FedEx box. 'The Weres entrusted it to us when we sent them away this morning.'

The Norseman took the box and sniffed it perfunctorily, before he opened it and brought out the contents. It was a sleek black MacBook Pro, along with its attachments and a new router for the house. Apparently, Pam had executed his previous order to the letter.

Eric set it aside and looked at the two guards. 'Anything else?'

'Nothing Sire. We will be out to place wards on the property as an additional defense, but only if there is nothing more you need?' Alvar said in answer.

The king shook his head and immediately saw to the setup of his laptop, while Sookie went outside to check on the guards. As he had backed up his files with Pam, he didn't worry about transfers or similar concerns. Instead, he merely configured the device, before turning his attention to the network.

Soon enough, he was comfortably seated on the living room couch, logging in to his e-mail account which was already filled with important correspondence.

The first one he opened was from Gregory.

_Eric,_

_Pam told me what happened to you. Since she has told me that you're now well, let me extend my warmest felicitations. Having said that, let me give you an update on things, as well as a notice. As per usual, an itemized list. _

_1. I will be in Louisiana by tomorrow evening and will head straight to the lovely home you share with your bonded. I come bearing very important things, both for you and the delightful Miss Stackhouse. Also, I would like to hear about your unfortunate incident and help you plan._

_2. Humungous headway on the drainer problem. We have managed to capture a total of 51 drainers already. Some of them are Weres – it's truly abhorrent. So far though, they have been midlist people, none of the main heads of operation. Will continue to update you on this matter._

_3. The Sheriffs wish to extend their thanks – I've forwarded an e-mail from Sheriff Nichols. He is from Area Four in Mississippi. I don't know what it says since I just forwarded it without reading the content. It's for you after all. _

_4. There will be a sizable press contingent to your Coronation – fucking humans. Final date has been set, since Pam and I have been talking. It will be a month and half from now. Is this okay? Talk to your progeny about the guest list. The sheer number of monarchs attending has substantially increased. _

_5. Land has been found for your Residence here, plus we have begun to pool together a huge team of workers. Quite considerable acreage too, so I believe it's a good fit. Will send over the details to your overseer. Scott Anderson, correct?_

_6. I have also procured the assistance of some vampires from Georgia, plus Isabel from Texas. They've allocated good resources to help in finding out who shot you. Isabel is concerned that if you have been targeted, this might be a threat to those considerably younger. Isabel will visit with me tomorrow, by the way._

_Well my brother, that is most everything of significance. Please reply back with your remarks and I hope to see you very soon indeed. _

_Gregory_

'Damn, I hate the fucking press,' Eric said, once he had finished reading. He typed out a quick reply, deciding to consult Pam and Scott before making any bigger decisions. Afterwards, he turned to the e-mail from Sheriff Nichols.

_Your Majesty,_

_I bid you good evening and hope that this letter finds you well. _

_First of all, may I thank you for your benevolence to the state. Indeed, our former king taxed us rather unfairly, in addition to many garish demands. Hence, we have had very little left over for the development of our Areas. _

_Thank you for changing this situation. Now that we are considerably less burdened, we are free to devote more resources to worthwhile activities. _

_Second, I sent this to you for a far more serious reason. There have been murmurings that the Fellowship of the Sun has conducted more campaigns in the very near state of Texas. _

_One child of mine resides in Dallas. He has reported that four of his colleagues have been sent to the true death already. Thus, he has contacted me for help. _

_As he has many interests there, he does not wish to leave, but has asked that I petition Your Majesty for the resolution of this matter. If this is acceptable to you, Sire, then I shall be most grateful for any action on your part. If not, then I will bear no ill will. _

_In part, I am also concerned for Your Majesty's safety, as well as the safety of the Queen. With Texas being so very near Louisiana, I cannot help but fear what comes next. The Fellowship has always been extremely radical and therefore, very dangerous. _

_Lastly Your Majesty, a vampire by the name of Friedrich Holtz has come forward in my Area, claiming he is your child. As far as I am aware, your sole child is Sheriff de Beaufort of Louisiana's Area Five. However, if this is untrue and he is in fact your child, please inform me. Until then, I am having Mr. Holtz watched. If he is not, please tell me what you wish me to do._

_Again, thank you for your time and beneficence. _

_I remain ever your humble servant,_

_Christopher John Nichols_

_Sheriff of Area Four – Mississippi_

By the time he had finished reading all of his other e-mails, it was near 6 pm and Sookie was strolling in through the front door. Eric's acute vision could see the beads of sweat on her face, which he attributed to the effort of helping put up the wards. Knowing his bonded, she had come out to help their two fairy warriors, not just to check on them as she'd claimed.

'The wards are up nice and good,' she said, looking at him and then his laptop before sitting beside him. 'Done with all your mail for now?'

'For now, yes. At the moment, my main concern is talking to Pam about her behavior towards you, before we all talk about some things that I just learned.'

In the next moment, it was Pam herself who spoke, with Scott standing some meters away from her. 'What are we going to talk about?'

Eric turned his head to face his errant progeny, his face reflecting the gravity of his coming admonishment. While he dearly appreciated her loyalty and her care, he was absolutely not going to tolerate disrespect to his Queen.

'I do not approve of your behavior towards Sookie, Pam. Don't go around forgetting her position in this state,' the Viking said seriously. 'You knew nothing of the situation, so you had no right to even form an opinion on it.'

'But Eric…'

'Enough. I will say this only once more, Pamela. You may not disrespect my bonded and your Queen. If you want to know things or reasons for certain occurrences, see that you ask me first before anything. Do we understand each other, child?'

Pam answered with a demure, 'Yes, Master.'

'Excellent. There is something I do need you to deal with, my dear progeny.' He was smiling at her now, soothing his agitated child through their shared bond.

Pam cocked an eyebrow, accompanied by a 'What?'

'Some idiot vampire, a certain Friedrich Holtz, is claiming I am his maker. Approach him with a threat and bring him to me if he does not desist from his perjury.'

She seemed excited by the _bring him to me _part. 'Of course, Eric. Anything else?'

'None, Pamela,' was the Viking's last word on the matter.

During the entire exchange, Sookie had watched without a word. She felt that Eric did know best in this case, though she could not resist feeling a bit bad for the vampiress she had grown to consider a friend of sorts. Eric's rebuke would have certainly hurt. She was also concerned by the Holtz impersonator fellow.

'So are you both sorted out?' she finally said, after composing her thoughts.

'Indeed we are. Now we need to talk about some new developments. According to an e-mail from Sheriff Nichols in Mississippi, there has been some dangerously radical activity from the Fellowship of the Sun in Texas.'

'How radical?' Pam asked.

'There have been deaths on our part already,' Eric said, his tone grave and low.

'What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?' Scott said, after a second.

'Security is paramount,' the king said in reply, looking warily at Sookie. 'Increase the security around the house, at least four on the property and two scouting the nearby woods at all times.'

'And for the daytime, Sire?'

'We have Sookie's two fairy guards, who have also sworn fealty to me. In any case, get John Piers and his staff here by tomorrow morning. They can just coordinate with Herveaux and his Weres for now,' Eric said. 'Sookie, you can meet them in the day.'

'If I may ask, I'd like to know who John Piers is.' The fairy telepath was looking back and forth between her vampire and her overseer.

'Of course, Your Majesty,' Scott said, looking at Sookie. 'Since the King seems to have no objection, John Piers is your new Head of Security for all intents and purposes.'

'Can we trust him?'

At Sookie's informed question, Eric was beaming with pride. She was now beginning to show the traits of a monarch. As evidence of his happiness, he suddenly gave her a peck on the cheek, which surprised her and stopped Scott before he could respond. Even Pam was shocked.

'What was that for?' Sookie asked.

'Just showing you how proud I am, my love,' he said, looking at his bonded with gentle eyes.

The telepath returned it with an equal peck on the cheek, before she turned to Scott again. 'Back to my earlier point. Can we trust the guy?'

This time, Pam spoke up. 'I screened him, along with Scott. I think he also checked in with Piers' old employer, the King of New York. No bad results, so he's fine.'

'Well, I trust you on that, Pam. I know you want Eric safe, so if he passed muster with you, he really must be trustworthy.'

Eric's progeny acknowledged this with a smile before she spoke. 'Not just Eric, you know.' It was the closest Pam de Beaufort would ever come to a verbal apology, but it earned her a wide smile from Sookie in return.

Rather against character, the Viking had said nothing during his women's short conversation. He merely nodded at their apparent truce, before speaking on another matter entirely. All the while, he was stroking Sookie's hand, which rested above his knee.

'We need to address the matter of the Coronation. I concur with Gregory's decision and have decided to hold it in four to five weeks.'

'Total of 820 guests, 170 of which are the human press with 91 monarchs as of final tally, Sire,' Scott said, having confirmed the list with Eric's child two days prior. He looked at his monarchs, noting the resignation on their faces.

'Calixto, Alvar and I can help with completing the Residence if there's still work to do,' Sookie said, looking particularly at Eric and seeing him nod.

All of a sudden, Pam piped in. 'Master, what about the Fellowship threat? Not planning any preemptive strikes?'

Eric shook his head, adding, 'Not in the physical sense, Pam. We concentrate on defense. They don't touch us, I see no reason to ruffle feathers.' There was a flood of approval from Sookie's end of the bond regarding his pacifism.

'How about PR during the Coronation then, instead of said strikes?'

'Very good, Pam. Make sure to donate money to worthwhile efforts, as well as to prepare a statement for the press. Scott can help.'

'Of course, Majesty,' the Overseer said in agreement, before looking at the telepath, who obviously was waiting to speak.

'So let me get our agenda straight,' she said. 'We finish the Residence, finalize the Coronation plans and pick places to donate to for PR, then lastly I need to meet the new Head of Security. Did I miss anything there?'

'You missed the shopping part. I am so disappointed,' Pam said, adding a look of feigned hurt which earned her a chuckle from her maker.

'Of course, the shopping,' Sookie said with a laugh, looking at Pam first, and then at her bonded who was seated beside her.

'Gregory and Isabel will be here tomorrow evening, by the way,' the Viking said, while Scott continued to take notes at vampire speed. 'He says he has items of interest and I plan to gather intel on Texas through Isabel.'

'Very well, Majesty,' Scott said. 'I will arrange their quarters in Shreveport. If that is all, I think our evening is concluded?'

'Not quite,' Eric said. 'There is something that all of you present here have to witness, even the guards.' On his last word, Calixto and Alvar popped in, standing near Scott.

'Go on, Your Majesty,' the two fairy males said in unison.

'What's this about?' Sookie asked, after a moment, looking at Eric.

In response, the Norseman turned sideways, facing his bonded. His blue eyes were stormy, filled with the weight of his vampiric emotions. Raising her hand to his lips, he gave it a kiss before he spoke in a gentle but firm voice.

'I apologize, my Queen, for the part I played in causing you to leave. My actions that night were not my best, so I ask forgiveness for them. However, know this. I will never apologize for trying to keep you alive by my side, but I promise to go about the process better in the future.'

Everyone was reasonably shocked at the sudden admission from the Viking, none more so than Pam, who had never seen her maker be that way. Even Sookie was speechless for a moment, before she uttered a slightly hesitant, 'Eric…'

'Do you accept my apology, dear one?' He still had not let go of her hands. Apprehension was thrumming through the bond.

'Of course I do,' she finally said, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips before she embraced him. Apprehension morphed into adoration, hope and love.

'Then, my sweet Sookie,' here he gave her a return kiss, 'all is well between us.'

'Damn straight, lovebirds,' Pam said under her breath. Scott couldn't help but chuckle.

A/N Okay, I know this was kind of a filler chapter, but it sets up the Coronation chapters plus all their dealings with FOTS. A small clue on who shot Eric – it's a cooperation thing. Anyway, so _fucking _sorry for the long wait. I was in Africa for charity – such an amazingly powerful experience. Also participating in Live Below the Line!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Sorry for the long waits between chapters, you guys. Anyway, I plan to make it up by having a chapter-fest. If you all are wondering what that means, it means I will be posting three chapters next to each other, with the next one posted promptly in two days. Hint, it is now being edited. Since I now have no other commitments, I can focus on this story. Please review and let me know what you think! Battle mode once more, people. We all know Eric will let nothing slide, neither will Pam, Gregory, Scott or the Viking's fairy bonded. We got a fight on our hands!

Chapter 14

The Viking had woken up at his usual three-thirty in the afternoon, feeling rather hyped up. Noting that Sookie wasn't in bed with him, he immediately put on clothes and geared up to chase after her, anticipating the thrill of a playful hunt with his bonded.

Instead of that however, he found her in the kitchen, with a bowl of what looked to be cookie dough. As if that alone wasn't surprising enough, she pointed to an apron and his seduction-slash-chase plans were nothing but history.

Forty-five minutes and two buttered baking pans later, a very bored Viking was expecting to die the true death from the frivolity of baking.

'Remind me again why we're doing this, lover?' Eric looked at Sookie pointedly, trying to understand the reasons for her sudden desire to become Paula Deen. He was covered in flour.

Sookie sighed at her vampire's comment. 'We, Your Majesty, are doing this because we need a time-out. Everything has been crazy and Pam will be here soon, not to mention Scott, Gregory and Isabel from Texas.'

'So we do a time-out by baking these chocolate chip cookies?' The Viking leered, giving his bonded a quick kiss on the lips. Some of the flour smeared all over her cheeks as he did so. 'I can think of better ways for a time-out.'

'Shut up. I am not getting roped into sex with you, Northman. Besides, we need something else to do except sex, you know? Something nice and couple-y before the shit hits the fan. Now stir the chocolate chips in, you lug.'

Sookie continued to make the second batch, pouring a measured amount of sugar into her bowl. Meanwhile, Eric was putting the chips into the already-prepared cookie dough, occasionally popping some of the little confections into his mouth.

After a particularly good stir with the wooden spoon to incorporate the chocolate, Eric said, 'And by the way, lover. Shit is not hitting the fan. We are merely dealing with the threats, as we have done in the past.' He showed her his work. 'Is this to your satisfaction, mistress?'

The telepath nodded, a smile on her face. She began showing him how to put portions of the dough onto the baking sheet, before turning back to her own batch. Beyond the archway leading into the kitchen, Alvar and Calixto were busy tidying up the house for their anticipated company.

'Why not just conjure this, sweetheart?' Eric said, after he'd done his bit and the cookies were finally in the oven. Closing the oven door, Sookie smiled and shrugged at his question.

'Where would the fun be in that? I like you all floured up. It's cute,' she said, walking over to pat his cheek. 'You happen to be my own Viking gingerbread man when you're like this.'

At that, Eric could feel the sincerity of her happy contentment. It was thrumming through their bond, always accompanied by an undercurrent of love and adoration. After a moment though, it seemed that apprehension made itself known. Sookie's hand was still on his cheek.

'Something the matter, my love?'

She shook her head, tenderly tracing his jaw. 'Not really. I just remembered how you looked when I came back. I'll never forget how you looked, Eric.'

Now, in addition to the apprehension, guilt was also coloring their shared connection. Eric sensed this clearly and tried to temper it with a feeling of calm. All he succeeded in doing was reliving his own guilt in the matter. Unforgettable images of her face, contorted in fear of him, flooded his mind.

Sookie looked up at him, feeling the new dose of negative emotion in the bond. She turned, both of their sides up against the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. Without giving notice, the Viking suddenly pulled her into a tight but tender embrace. She burrowed into his sculpted chest, floured as it was. For a long moment, both said nothing, until Eric tipped Sookie's chin up and fused his lips to hers. Powerless to resist and having no inclination to do so, the telepath clutched his shirt, flour and all.

'I love you, my sweet fairy. Please tell me you know that,' he said afterward.

'I do know that. You know I love you too, right?' She held his face in her hands, awaiting his answer. His resulting response nearly floored her with its sheer emotional intensity.

No wonder Eric had never liked to use the word _love _before. It was petty compared to what he was currently sharing with his telepath. Love was too shallow a word, even if it was the sort of love which the world only dreamed about. Sookie returned his dose with all of her own adoration, sincere and strong. She imbued it with gentleness and deep respect.

The Viking's eyes, which had been previously closed, were now open in amazement. Sookie nearly cried at the sight. The very same Eric who shared her bed without his memories – that was the Eric staring back at her now.

Powerful king as he was and now _compos mentis_, so to speak, all she saw was the tenderness with which Amnesia Eric had always looked at her.

Only one sentence was in her head to describe everything she now felt for the man in front of her. Giving him a gentle kiss, she lovingly said, 'I adore you, Eric. You really are a miracle.'

'You are my undoing, beloved one,' he said in a hoarse whisper, before instinct demanded that he worship the goddess he claimed as his.

Eric immediately began to kiss her neck, his hands busily roaming her topography. He had already lifted her onto the counter, having had enough control to move the used bowls to the sink beforehand. Not to say that he didn't use his full speed to achieve that, though.

Legs locked around his waist, Sookie returned his caresses with her own, her hands already seeking the skin beneath his shirt. For a moment, she was stunned at the perfect expanse of muscle beneath her fingers.

'I love you,' she repeated, before laying kisses on the ridge of his shoulder, combined with gentle nips. She heard Eric's satisfied rumble, emanating from deep in his chest.

'Sweet Sookie,' he crooned softly, beginning to lift the hem of her shirt. 'I must see all of you.' He had not stopped kissing her, his lips somewhere on her skin with each upward inch of the fabric.

Unfortunately, before things could escalate, it was the sound of the timer which broke them out of their passionate lock around each other.

Completely against her proper, Southern upbringing, Sookie muttered a loud, 'Fuck! Really, did it have to happen now?' Sharing her sentiments, Eric growled, vowing to hate all ovens for the rest of his existence.

'I told you, Sookie,' he said, his voice rough with restrained lust. 'I told you there were better ways for us to have a time-out. Fuck your fucking oven.' He looked at the appliance with icy eyes.

At that, the telepath laughed, her earlier frustration disappearing with the nearly childlike anger which her vampire was displaying.

Pushing him aside, she hopped off the counter and headed to the Eric-offending piece of machinery. Upon opening the oven door, the kitchen was immediately permeated by the smell of freshly baked goods. Even Calixto had popped in to ask about the source of the aroma.

'Choco chip cookies,' she said, pointing to the ones they'd just retrieved. Actually, Sookie had done all the retrieving. Eric, on the other hand, had refused to go near the oven. His words had been, 'I am not even going to look at that if I can help it.'

'I apologize, my lady. However, I am afraid I don't know what _choco chip_ means.' Calixto had an appropriately bashful look on his face. Eric scoffed, shaking his head. The vampire was not happy at all.

'Seriously?' Sookie said, watching Calixto nod. She picked up a cookie with the mitts and showed him the dark specks. 'These are chocolate chips. Basically little bits of chocolate.'

The curiosity with which the brown-haired fairy approached the cookie was amusing. Once Alvar too had come through the archway, Calixto explained the concept of _choco chip _exactly as his mistress had done for him. Sookie chuckled throughout the entire display, turning her head only when she felt a note of disapproval from Eric through the bond.

'What is it?' she said, looking at him with concern.

In answer, he laid a kiss on her lips, the lip-lock being a long one at that. When Sookie smacked his arm after, he repeated his action and effectively stunned her into silence before walking away. He gave her no chance to respond as he headed straight to their bedroom and into the shower.

As he'd predicted, Sookie was in front of him within seconds, having teleported. She'd appeared just as he was turning on the water.

'Hello lover,' he said casually. 'Will you join me? The others will be here in about an hour and a half, you know. Best we get clean.'

'What the hell was the mauling for? Right in front of the guards too!'

Eric didn't respond verbally. He only tugged her towards him, ripping off all her clothes before doing the same to his own wet garments. In a flash of movement, her back was against the wall, with the Viking's hard length resting in between them.

Lust, pure and unchecked, was running through their bond. The intensity of it was staggering.

'No more talking. I've had enough with the flour and the stirring, getting interrupted by the fucking timer and you getting distracted by your cookie-ignorant guard. Think only of me,' he said, his hand seeking the heat and wetness of her core. 'Think of how I make you feel.'

Sookie, to Eric's delight, had no other response but a drawn-out moan of his name. The sound of her voice was shortly followed by the sensation of her hands wrapping around his cock, squeezing firmly before her hands began moving along the length.

Hearing that deep growl coming from him again, Sookie sped up her movements, trying to keep steady against _his _onslaught. 'You like that, do you?' she said in a breathy whisper.

'You know I do, naughty little fairy.' His fingers began to slip into her. 'Do you like what _I'm _doing to you, sweet one?'

'Lord help me,' was the only thing she got out, before her voice was stolen by the work of his talented fingers in her wet heat.

'Speak up, lover. Do you like it?' Eric said, prodding her, needing to hear her say it. Meanwhile, he was trying to control his own pleasure as Sookie wreaked rhythmic havoc on his length. He was happy though that she was beginning to grind against his hand.

'Yes, I do like it Eric,' she said. 'I like it and I love you. Oh God, I fucking love you.'

In the next instant, Eric withdrew his fingers, swatted her hand away and buried himself in her to the hilt. The resulting moan from his fairy bonded was gloriously lusty music to his ears. Beginning a series of short but powerful shoves, he slowly leaned in near her ear, determined to break her with his words.

'Can you feel me inside you, Sookie? Can you feel yourself getting filled so perfectly by my cock? You're mine, lover. Mine, now and always.'

'Yes, yes I'm yours,' she said, her voice keen and of a higher pitch than normal. 'Eric, more. I _need_ you right now.'

Her admission gratified him to no end, causing the Viking's ardor to increase exponentially. Lifting her, he locked her legs around his waist, proceeding to slam into her with vigor and unrestrained passion. His arms supported her back, fingers tangled into her hair with the water pouring continuously from above.

'My dear one,' he said, voice rough with pleasure and accompanied by a powerful thrust. 'My bonded.' Another thrust, a kiss on her neck. 'My lover.' Three thrusts, a quick nip on her shoulder. 'My angelic Sookie.'

His words were the key to her undoing. Writhing madly against his lustful, energetic body, she felt her release growing ever nearer. If she judged right, the release was going to hit with all the force of a hundred train wrecks. His thrusts weren't stopping, nor showing any laxity.

She reinforced the strength of her soon-to-be-sated desire, groaning deeply against Eric's neck before she said, 'God, I'm so close. Do it. Take all of me, Eric, everything I have. All of me is yours.'

Tilting her neck with her hands on his shoulders, she heard her vampire's voice – it was perfect, rough and needy. 'You are home to me, beloved. I'm home.'

Once his fangs sank into the column of her neck, both of them were lost to the most shattering release either had ever experienced. Seconds after her loud scream of pleasure, Sookie too was latched onto Eric's shoulder, having bitten him in the throes of extreme desire.

As evidenced by his withdrawal and satisfied roar, the Viking wasn't complaining at all. Still spending inside her tight sheath, he continued to draw out the sensations brought on by her feeding, thrusting in short strokes as he lapped greedily from her oozing neck.

He could still feel the aftershocks of her climax around his length, with it being deliciously clenched by her inner walls. It was making him delirious with contentment and happiness, feelings which he shared with his bonded all the way to their exit.

Safe to say, no water had been saved at all. Even the actual cleaning was ridiculously thorough and prolonged, since both wanted to cherish the reverent experience they'd both gone through. Add to that, they'd ended up going two more rounds, unable to restrain their mutual longing.

In the end though, the two of them carried smiles on their faces as they got out of the shower and toweled each other off. For Sookie personally, she felt utterly drugged by Eric's shower of affectionate adoration.

'I love you, sweetheart,' he said gently, for what was perhaps the fifth time during their dressing session. Afterwards, he'd promptly showered her with kisses, before completely fastening up his Sookie-conjured button-down. 'Tell me you love me too.'

'I love you Eric. I will never get tired of telling you, you know that,' she said, smoothing down the front of her light blue dress. She gave him another kiss after fixing her shoes.

'Shall we go down, dear one?' he said, once he noticed that both of them were finished. His short hair was neatly combed, while her locks hung down like a golden curtain.

She shook her head in response to his question, promptly followed up by, 'I have something for you first, to wear around your neck.'

His eyebrow was raised, curious as she showed him her closed palm. The gift inside made him go a bit soft at her thoughtfulness. It was a Mjolnir necklace, reminiscent of his Viking heritage. Hooked beside the hammer pendant were two small ravens, the three set on a sturdy but stylish black cord.

'Hugin and Munin?' he asked, referring to Odin's ravens, Thought and Memory.

'Could be,' Sookie said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. 'I like to think it's you and I, expressed in a Viking way which you'd appreciate.'

'I do, beloved. I will always love this gift, I promise you,' he said, nodding enthusiastically, before his attention was riveted by the appearance of a new necklace in her palm.

Though it was on the same black cordage, the necklace was topped off with a simple gold E, with two fang-like pendants beside it, also of gold. Quite simply, Eric was awash with adoration, and he made sure to broadcast it loud and clear through their bond.

'I take it you approve, my Viking?' Sookie said, smiling up at her vampire. He returned her gesture with a deep kiss, one of promise and love.

'You are perfect, lover,' he said, linking her arm with his. Before he could take a step forward though, his bonded had already teleported them to the living room.

Thanks to fairy magic, the whole house was finally pristine again. Add to that, they'd underestimated the time taken by their shower, as Pam and Scott were already in the living room as well. Per usual protocol, Calixto and Alvar were not far away. Also per usual protocol, Pam was a ball of snark in Oscar de la Renta and with Chanel for footwear. In stark contrast, Scott was wearing a gray dress shirt with nondescript black slacks.

'Took you long enough,' Pam said, shaking her head at Eric and Sookie. Scott meanwhile, gave a more respectful greeting, bowing as he said, 'Good evening, Your Majesties.'

'Evening Scott,' Sookie said, before turning to her bonded's progeny. 'Nice to see you too, Pam. Where's Gregory and Isabel?'

'Not here yet,' she said. 'They just refreshed a bit at one of Eric's homes in Shreveport. Gregory called just a while ago to say that.'

The telepath nodded. 'You guys want a True Blood? I don't have any, but I could probably conjure some for you. Sorry if I get the taste wrong.'

'I will have one, if you please, Majesty,' Scott said, looking to Eric for any signs of disapproval and finding none, the king's face utterly neutral. As for Pam, she shook her head no. She _hated_ the vile liquid.

Once Scott had a taste of the True Blood though, he was looking at Sookie with wide eyes. Unable to stop himself, he kissed the back of her hand in a gesture of devoted loyalty. The Viking on the other hand, was positively incensed.

'Explain yourself, underling,' he demanded, keeping a possessive arm around Sookie's waist.

Pam looked on curiously, while Scott seemed at a loss for words. Instead of him, it was Sookie who gave Eric the explanation he was looking for.

'Calm down,' she said, looking at her bonded. 'I just thought to make it to taste more like human blood, kind of like a mix between synthetic and human. Don't know why he reacted that much. Maybe it's my fairy powers or something.'

The Viking looked at his overseer. 'What is it like?'

'Sire,' Scott said, his voice hesitant as he addressed Eric. 'It is unquestionably _pure_. Like a child would taste, perhaps. Clean and free of any taint, and no trace of the synthetic taste at all.'

Soon enough, Pam was grabbing the bottle and taking a sip. Same as Scott, her eyes went wide, though the orbs were soon set on Sookie. 'If this is your interpretation of True Blood, I'll take a whole fucking case of this shit.'

On their end, Sookie and Eric were trying to process the new development. While the telepath was shocked at her apparent new ability despite never having tasted human blood in quantity, the Viking was trying to identify what course of action to take.

Finally, he decided. 'You will keep this to yourselves, you understand?' He leveled both of the younger vampires with a withering stare, acknowledging their nods with one of his own. Turning to Sookie, he said, 'How did you structure the conjuring, lover?'

'If you're talking about what I wanted to have as a result, then I've already told you. I wanted it to taste like a mix of human and synthetic.'

He noted her answer, his mind already whirring and beginning his deft compartmentalization process. 'What were your thoughts when conjuring?'

'Well, I just thought about wanting it to taste way better than the normal True Blood. That was pretty much it and nothing else,' she said.

The conversation was broken by Pam and her sudden comment. 'Eric, imagine the possibilities. We could keep this within our group, just you and Sookie, me and Scott. Maybe Gregory. This could foster loyalty, if you think about it.'

'How so?' Sookie said. 'What, I keep conjuring this like a supply line and give it out to Best in Show or Most Loyal or whatever?' Her instinct to protect her gift was rearing up. Whatever the case, she was not willing to be some marketing device. In response to her stiffened posture, Calixto and Alvar were beginning to tense.

Pam shook her head. 'I didn't mean it that way, Sookie. Eric would never allow you to be treated that way,' she said, with the Viking's nod as confirmation. 'It could be just a private treat whenever Scott, me or Gregory visits.'

'Like delicious pie for a human, lover,' Eric said, stroking his bonded's cheek and sending a barrage of purely soothing feelings through the bond. 'Look at Scott, I dare say he has fallen in love with you just for the unexpected prize you bestowed. Pam loves it as well.' The Viking noted the acceptance in the bond, smiling indulgently at his gifted mate.

'If you three agree to keep it between us here, then it's fine. But no more than that, you understand? No freaky add-whatever-please. I won't allow that.'

The Viking looked at his bonded. 'I agree with your conditions, my love. This is a special gift, meant to be shared between our circle only. Luckily for me,' here he leveled Pam and Scott with a look again, 'I am the only one who can taste the full, intoxicating richness which is quintessentially you.'

'Damn straight,' Sookie said, giving Eric a quick peck on the lips. As always, Eric wasn't satisfied by the brief contact, instead melding his lips to hers in a frenzy of affectionate lust, only broken when Calixto's voice provided an interruption.

'Your Majesties, the Lieutenant for Mississippi and Ms. Isabel Beaumont of Texas are here,' he said, opening the door. It was Gregory's smooth Italian accent which rang out in the next second.

Bowing to Eric and Sookie, the Italian ancient spoke. 'How I have missed Louisiana and both of you for entertainment.' Turning to Pam, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, 'Lovely to see you as always, darling Pamela.'

The Viking chuckled at the whole display. He always knew his child had a soft-spot for his brother and battle comrade. He turned to greet Isabel, as did Sookie. Currently though, he was itching for contact. Pulling Sookie down onto the sofa beside him, his sudden move earned him a small shriek from her, followed by a smile which made him nuzzle into her neck. As usual, Calixto and Alvar were not far behind the two, while the visitors sat down as well.

'My sweet beloved,' Eric cooed gently in Sookie's ear. One hand was around her waist and the other resting on her knee, entwined with the telepath's own. 'Stay with me always,' he said in devoted entreaty, which earned him a nod and a kiss.

'Oy, enough, Master. We have visitors, come on.' Pam turned to Sookie. 'Now would also be a good time to offer Gregory his _True Blood_.'

The Italian vampire made a noise of protest, but was stilled in fascination as he watched Sookie conjure the filled bottle, extending it to him in a gesture of hospitality. At Pam's enthusiastic urging, he took a tentative sip. Eric looked at the currently-observing Isabel, communicating the need to keep silent on Sookie's heritage. The female vampire bowed slightly in understanding.

The usual eyes-grow-ridiculously-wide syndrome overtook the Italian immortal instantly. 'Lovely Sookie, what is this you've fed me? No synthetic in the world tastes this good.' He pushed the bottle towards his companion from Texas. 'Go on, drink, Isabel.' Her reaction was the same, and Eric didn't waste time, gloating happily.

'So you like our offering?' he said, with a gratified smile. Both Isabel and Gregory nodded.

'Very much so, Your Majesty,' the Texan vampiress added. 'Your bonded and Queen is a singular rarity, I congratulate you.' Isabel looked at Sookie. 'Thank you for sharing this gift with us, I will honor it always.'

'Thank you Isabel,' Sookie said, reaffirmed by Eric's nod. The telepath looked around. 'Well, shouldn't we be getting down to business?'

'Very well, lover,' Eric said. 'But where is John Piers? He is supposed to be here, is he not?'

Scott was the one who answered. 'He has accepted the position very gratefully, Sire. However, his mother was hospitalized today and he has asked that he start tomorrow morning instead.'

'Poor guy,' Sookie said, suddenly understanding why her expected visitor hadn't come. 'Scott, send flowers to his mom, okay?'

'Say we wish her well,' Eric added, knowing it was a good PR move and would reverberate positively, though he knew that his bonded was acting out of compassion. He sent her approval through the bond.

'Consider it done, Majesty,' Scott said, right before Gregory launched into the most serious topic up for discussion. The Italian was looking straight at the Viking, a mix of balefulness and murder in his eyes.

'We must find the bastard who dared shoot you, Eric. He is a threat. Not very smart to have targeted you, but a threat nonetheless.' Pam was enthusiastically in agreement. ' I won't allow shit like this being done to you, Master. Not before, not now, not ever.'

'Thank you for the concern,' the Viking said. 'I _have_ been wronged, and as many know, my sense of justice and vengeance is quite keen. Investigate every possible avenue to discover who did it. It may or may not have a connection to the Friedrich Holtz idiot claiming he is my child, so do not discount him from the possible ones involved.'

'That fucker,' Pam immediately said. Scott meanwhile, was taking notes.

Gregory was next to speak. 'I tracked him down and gave orders to Sheriff Nichols to restrain him. I have questioned him, but he has so far been unproductive. I give him credit though, for withstanding that much torture and duress.'

'Well, good work and keep investigating. Isabel, the situation in Texas,' Eric said, trying to soothe his agitated fairy. Though Sookie did mature considerably, he knew she still had issues with things like killing and torture. He filled the bond with calming waves of gentle affection, happy when he felt it begin to act as a balm on her frayed nerves.

'The Fellowship is either growing more powerful or more stupid as time goes by,' the Texan vampiress said. 'Four vampires have been targeted and killed, with the idiots stirring up anti-vampire sentiment each second of the day.'

Sookie piped in. 'This will be a problem at the Coronation. It's in a few weeks. I'm sure the Fellowship will try and make an appearance. On the upside, we'll help neutralize the anti-vampire side with positive PR.'

'God I wish we could just kill all the motherfuckers,' Pam added, lamenting the idiocy of the whole Fellowship group in general. Her wish got Sookie slightly scared again, but the fear was readily squashed as soon as it bloomed. 'Now what do we do?' she said in ending.

'We go through with the Coronation for obvious reasons,' Eric said. 'Holtz must continue to get investigated, with any leads reported straight to me. Gregory and Scott, you cooperate on this.' The Viking turned to Isabel. 'Continue to gather intel on the Fellowship in Texas and help my overseer in his investigations, should the need arise.'

'And if we are threatened or discovered during investigation, Eric?' Isabel said.

'I am hoping it will not come to that, that your resources and cunning will negate that necessity,' the Norseman said. 'However, do not be afraid to use force when necessary. Try though, to use other means of incapacitating the Fellowship.'

'Of course. I also feel it is my duty to report that the former King of Utah has died the true death, hereby leaving his wife the Queen of Arizona, to administer both states. This is highly relevant due to the fact that there are many rumors circulating, specifically that the Queen wants you for a mate, Eric. She has always desired you, you know that.'

Everyone in the room heard Sookie's muted but audible gasp, though no one reacted except Eric. The Viking immediately sought to calm his bonded. Soothing her with his hand, he whispered, 'Peace, my beloved one. You know I will never take another.'

'I know that,' Sookie replied, raising her voice. 'But I can't help feeling threatened. I'm saying it now though, I will kill that bitch if she even tries to make the rumors come true.'

Every vampire in the room reacted, though in different ways. For Eric, he felt his bloodlust rising, proud of Sookie's clear intent to defend. Gregory and Pam on the other hand were both amused, while Isabel was showing mild surprise at the telepath's bravado.

'Any plans, brother?' Gregory said, after a while. 'You know, the Queen is attending your Coronation. Should that change?'

Eric shook his head, but Sookie beat him to the punch with a verbal reply. 'Let her come. Then maybe she'll get discouraged. Meanwhile though, somebody needs to keep an eye on her. I'll blow her to smithereens myself if she tries to make a move.'

'Indeed, lovely Sookie,' the Italian said. 'She will gain if she is underestimated and we lose. She will stand to become the monarch of four states, including having Eric for a co-regent.'

At that, the Viking growled loudly. 'There will be no such occurrence. Scott, keep a close eye on Arizona. Plant a spy if you have to and make sure you learn everything there is to learn. Pam, assist Scott in this matter.'

'Any more tasks for me, Master?' Pam said, after a nod.

'You will also work on planning the Coronation. Do the styling for Sookie as well, my child. Coordinate with Scott on the Residence and make damned sure John Piers is here by tomorrow morning with proper security. Prepare for a possible fairy contingent, including the Prince.' Sookie sent a wave of approval at his thoughtful awareness.

'Yes Eric,' Pam said, though she was somewhat irked by the last bit. However tasty they might be, Pam still hated fairies with all the instincts she had in her. Hence, it was also a surprise to her, that Sookie had earned her respect in a way.

'Hope you all don't mind, but I do want a security update,' Sookie suddenly said. She was hyper-aware of everything now that all threats were identified. Thankfully, Scott had a prompt reply for her, knowing the topic would come up eventually.

'As instructed, Your Majesty, we will all make sure that John Piers and his complete security team are here by tomorrow morning. For this evening, we do have four vampires in place patrolling the tree line around the property.' He pointed to the fairy males behind Eric and Sookie. 'There is also them, for maximum daylight protection.'

'Oh. Good then,' Sookie said. 'Thanks for being so informative on everything, Scott.'

'My pleasure, Majesty. For our last order of business, I have something for you both.' Scott looked at Eric first, then at his Queen. 'Her Grace, the Ancient Pythoness, bids that you meet her personally in a week for matters of important discussion.'

At the mention of the Pythoness, everyone grew silent. Only Eric spoke. 'Did the Pythoness mention any details on this important discussion?'

'Afraid not, Sire. She only asked me to deliver the message to you, and that she would send the details of the time and place accordingly. Also, Your Majesty, Prince Niall has sent a large sum of money as well as a case of precious jewels, as reparation for the offense of his grandson Claude.'

'Excellent. Forward the correspondence from Her Grace and I will respond personally,' Eric said, as a next-to-final order. He looked around at everyone, intoning his voice with its famously cold lethality. 'Everything is addressed. I ask everyone's cooperation in the matters discussed here, and I need not remind any of you how I act when I am disobeyed or crossed.'

'Yes, Your Majesty,' everyone said. Even Pam and Gregory knew better than to respond with anything less than perfect compliance when Eric spoke in that voice. For a moment, it had chilled Sookie to the bone as well.

'Well, our business is done then. As I am sure you all won't mind, my bonded and I will be retiring for the evening to carry on our independent pursuits,' Eric said, very neutrally.

He watched Scott bow, with Gregory patting his shoulder as a goodbye gesture. On the other hand, Pam touched his arm for a nonverbal adieu, eyes locked for a moment with her maker. Each vampire saying goodbye to the fairy telepath in turn. Feeling the clear lust raging like a torrent in the bond, Sookie had stayed silent, knowing that her vampire's neutrality was a ruse to get everyone out of the house.

Several moments passed, but eventually they were truly alone. Eric pensively turned to the guards.

'Alvar, you guard the outside of the house,' he said, immediately obeyed by the dark-haired fairy warrior. 'Calixto, you may stay at the front door.'

'Yes, Majesty,' Calixto said, before teleporting to his post.

As for Eric, he turned to Sookie with that familiar glint in his eyes. To Sookie, that glint always meant there was a very long night ahead.

'Now what, Viking?' she said, trying to discover his plans.

'I didn't get my chase earlier, lover,' he said, his voice full of promise and dark seduction. Giving her a final kiss, he huskily whispered in her ear. 'Now run, little fairy, and pray the big bad vampire doesn't catch you.'

As Sookie teleported to their bedroom, Eric filled the bond with one last flood of lust. Dropping his fangs, he sped upstairs with one thought in mind.

_Game on, lover. _

A/N Well everyone, that's chapter fourteen. Can anyone connect the dots to who shot Eric and for what reason yet? Come on, make like a detective and identify who has the biggest motive! Well anyway, next chapter will be posted up soon, as I have indicated in the first author's note for this chapter. If you guys have any requests for what you wanna see in the Coronation/pledging chapter, please feel free to send me a PM or mention it in a review!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N Fucking FFN. That is all I can say. Fucking glitches and thank God the moderators responded to my assistance request. Now everything is back on track, and I have their assurance that there will be no more site mishaps. Let's see if that's actually true. This chapter gives you a peek into the other side, but will revert back to our gang. Sit tight. Also, this chapter is set a full seven days after the events of the last chapter.

Chapter 15

_The Queen's Palace, Phoenix, Arizona_

'Pardon me for my question, but did I hear right? You plan to go against Northman and expect he will accept you as his mate?'

The Queen of Arizona nodded, looking at her visitor and fellow monarch, the King of Vermont. 'Adrian, you know how Eric is. He is at most, only fascinated by his little telepathic plaything. In the face of my offers, he would be a fool to resist and stay with her.'

'And how are you sure of that, Estelle? If the Coronation invite I got is any indication, Eric plans to make sure the whole world knows of his Queen.' The king sipped on his blood, looking at his hostess with seriousness in his eyes.

'Like I said, easily remedied with the right offer. He would be a fool to refuse, given the wealth I can bring him with Arizona and Utah under my control.'

Adrian put down his goblet on the side table near his chair. 'And if he refuses?'

'I am sure he will not. He was raised by his maker to be the most lethal of survivalists. He is not likely to let go of the added security I can offer, in the face of whatever idiotic sentimentality is brought about by his age.'

'If you say so, Estelle. Because you know how many allies are always on his side. If you fail in this little endeavor, you will lose everything, I am sure of it.'

'I have no plans of losing. You know I am not without my own alliances, nor without my own considerable resources. Trust me Adrian, I will be the one winning this battle.' The Queen smiled, her fangs in full display. 'Besides my dear, things are soon to happen and they won't know what hit them.'

_Sookie and Eric's Residence, Bon Temps, Louisiana_

Eric sat at the side of his shared bed with Sookie, carefully observing her in her sleep. He was glad for her relatively long rest the past week, since he knew she'd been dealing with a lot. Despite his enforcement of rest though, she'd still managed to cram in four different meetings the day before, all for the final details of the Coronation. In addition to those, she had joined him for a few small, exclusive charity events, spread out over the week.

John Piers and his veritable battalion of security staff had also arrived, easily passing muster with Eric as promised. Their assignment at the moment was patrolling the property, same as they'd done during the previous days.

Meanwhile, Pam had wreaked havoc on his finances, going all out when it came to the Coronation attire. To his consternation, his child had not even allowed him to see the planned outfit for his bonded, nor the one for Pam herself. When he tried to question Sookie, she had winked at him, which basically meant he was done for. Though Pam and she were in a clear state of feminine collusion, his consolation was that he knew his two women would surprise him in the best possible way.

Speaking of, he needed his bonded to wake up. Eric, after all, was not without his own surprises for his beloved and queen. Leaning in carefully, he whispered, 'Sweet one, wake up.' He added in a gentle nudge and some nuzzling on her neck.

Pretty soon, Sookie was mumbling as she came to, her vision immediately locked onto the sight of the oceanic eyes staring down at her. 'Hello there, you handsome Viking. What time is it, please?'

'Already 6:15, lover. Please get dressed. Gregory is downstairs waiting for us.'

'With Pam and Scott, or just him?' Sookie said, already ambling out of bed and towards the bathroom to freshen up. After all, she had taken a shower before her nap, two hours prior.

'Just him,' Eric said, already anxious to see her reaction to his gift, safely delivered by his trustworthy Italian comrade. 'Dear one, how long will you be in there?'

The Viking heard her shuffling inside the bathroom, before her voice rang out and she said, 'Give me ten minutes and I'll be right out.'

'As you wish. I will be downstairs,' Eric said, before he flashed out of the room at an inhuman speed. Once he was at the main floor of the house, the Norseman only sat down, picking up the ornate chest which Gregory delivered and setting it on his lap.

His fellow vampire chuckled at his obvious nerves. In the centuries they'd both known each other, the Italian ancient had never seen the Viking fazed by anything. Currently though, he was amused by Eric's focused stare on the wooden container.

'I am sure she will love it, brother,' he finally offered, when he noticed that Eric had still not moved from his purposefully-seated position on the armchair. At last, it was Sookie who jolted her Viking from his thoughts.

'Love what?'

It was the Italian in the room who replied. 'Best that the two of you discuss my package delivery later, lovely Sookie. For now, I am here for update reasons, while Pamela is briefing our people at Fangtasia. And good evening, by the way. You look quite radiant.'

'Thank you, Gregory. Charming as always,' the telepath said, before sitting down on the couch and indicating the space beside her, which was immediately occupied by her vampire. He had set the box on a side table. 'Go on with the conversation, please.'

'Very well. First order of business is information from Texas. Isabel has sent in another spy to infiltrate the Fellowship, again, thoroughly glamoured on proper procedure. Everything is going good on that front, with our final blow being your positive PR at the Coronation.'

'Not to mention my looks and my big, fat checks,' Eric added, making Sookie laugh.

'Yes, well, fifteen million from each state in our kingdom greases a lot of gears, doesn't it, boys? Moving on please?' she said with a smile. She conjured herself a glass of juice and a bottle of her special True Blood for her guest. 'Calixto says that he and Alvar won't be back until two days before the Coronation. Fae contingent preparation, they said.'

'Duly noted and thank you for the treat, lovely one,' Gregory said. He took a sip and sighed in contentment. 'At least you have your full-on security for here and the Residence already. And may I say, they followed proper procedure when I came. Very good for you both.'

'Indeed,' the Viking said, followed up by Sookie saying, 'Yep, they're great and really serious, plus they're all very respectful. What's next, our construction update, right?'

The Italian immortal's eyes were amused at the telepath's enthusiasm. 'The Royal Residence in New Orleans is getting fitted with its interior decoration, while the Residence in Mississippi is efficiently undergoing the necessary work.' He looked at Eric. 'Art and sculpture pieces you approved are now being moved from storage.'

'Good work, Gregory. Holtz still hasn't buckled?' A hint of bloodlust was in Eric's eyes. He had authorized more extreme interrogation methods over the past week, so far to no avail.

'I give him credit, brother. By my underling's report, he is being very obstinate. What would you like done?' Instead of Eric, it was Sookie who answered.

'Have him transferred here. That idiot being in Mississippi is probably a hindrance to him providing answers for his actions. He might give if it's Eric personally doing the questioning.'

'Do as she says,' Eric said, wholehearted in his approval of her command. 'I wish to be finished with him as an issue. Whatever his involvement in what has been done against me, I will find out and I will deal with him accordingly. And as many know, I am very effective.'

Gregory nodded. 'On the good side, your meeting with the Pythoness is tomorrow evening, correct? Depending on what she says, her influence can bolster yours considerably.'

At Eric's silence, Sookie said, 'We _are_ hoping that's the case. From our previous meetings and my own impression of her though, I'm pretty shocked at her investment into our relationship.'

'Her level of emotional investment is astounding, yes,' Eric added. 'Her Grace usually does not interfere at such a personal level. However, I have it on good authority that good things will come from her influence.' He cast his mind back for a moment, back to the letter which the Pythoness had given him.

'We just have to trust her, then,' Sookie said, to which Gregory nodded.

'What of the Prince's assignment?' the Italian vampire soon asked, his accent more pronounced than ever. 'I know we haven't had time because of the attack on you, but as long as that Fae fugitive is in this realm, you both know that all of us are at risk.'

In view of the guard team rushing into the house, weapons in hand and shouting for everyone to get down, Eric had no chance at all to answer. The seconds ticked by in a flash, the speedy movements of everyone being equally indiscernible.

'What the hell is going on?' the Viking soon said, from his crouched position. The surprised king was staring straight at John Piers, his head of security. His arm was protectively wrapped around Sookie, while Gregory was also crouched down with his fangs bared.

'We detected movement in the tree line, Your Majesty,' he said, directing his team to close in around Eric, Sookie and Gregory, who were all low to the ground behind the huge living room couch. 'We sensed magic in the air as well, accompanied by seven different foreign scents. Three of those scents belong to Weres, one to a human. The rest, we have assumed to belong to fairies. One of the Weres charged at us, but we shot him dead.'

John now knew all about the Fae, given that he had been briefed on it upon accepting the assignment. His full education at the hands of Scott and Pam equipped him with all the knowledge necessary to his new post, including his Queen's fairy heritage.

Sookie's reaction came first. 'Screw this all. I knew last week's peace was a prelude to disaster. I can't believe they're ganging up on us like this.'

'They're fucking cooperating with each other,' Eric said in a low voice, followed by a growl of rage. 'This isn't how things normally go!'

'Indeed it isn't, brother,' Gregory added, with his voice somewhat pensive. 'The Fae have always been too proud to cooperate with what they see as inferior creatures. The Weres and the human, that I can understand.' At his statement, the realization dawned on Eric.

'Their superiority and pride has only been eclipsed by their greed for wealth,' he said.

Sookie looked at her bonded. 'You think someone paid them?'

'Paid them well,' the Norse vampire said. 'The Fae are not easy to coerce into cooperation. This could only have come at a very high price. And it seems they've been watching us somehow. Now that I know magic is involved, things will never be as they seem.'

'What are your orders, Your Majesty?' John Piers said, in a clipped voice. Eric seemed to be thinking of his answer, but Sookie took the decision out of his hands in the next moment.

'We go to the Royal Residence. I've never been there, so I can't really pop there with all of you.' She looked at Eric. 'Scott has been there though, right?'

'He has, lover. What are you planning?'

'Where is he?'

'Fangtasia, with Pam. Sookie, please tell me you're not planning what I think you are,' Eric said. After a quick 'Yep, sorry', his fairy telepath had already popped away. At the same time, the Viking felt a sharp pain stab near his ribs, wrenching a long groan from his cold lips as he leaned on the couch for support. The sound seemed to break the temporary paralysis that rested over all of them, prompting everyone into action.

'Secure the King,' John said, before he was silenced by Gregory, saying, 'Do not touch him.' The Italian immortal observed his comrade for a moment, before leaning down a little closer and speaking in a concerned voice.

'Are you okay, Eric?' he said.

The Viking shook his head and didn't answer, closing his eyes. From the depths of his long-dead heart, the Norseman did something he had not done too much over the past thousand years. Pained as he was and unable to do anything, he took an unnecessary breath and prayed.

Safe to say, the emotions he soon sensed from his bonded did nothing to bolster his already shaky confidence. As he prayed to his gods, he cursed his own helplessness, a feeling he had almost never felt in the entirety of his long life.

_Fangtasia, Shreveport, Louisiana_

Despite the thought that their situation in Bon Temps was dire, the status of Fangtasia clearly took the cake in Sookie's eyes. Vampires and Weres were fighting, and there were dead bodies strewn all over the bar's floor. For a moment, she wanted to gag, but kept the desire in check as she surveyed her increasingly chaotic surroundings.

'Fuck,' she said to herself, ducking as a burly Were tried to punch her. She retaliated by blasting him, straight into a group of fighters. Before she could get any more caught in the crossfire, she immediately thought of Pam, before popping away to the location of Eric's progeny.

Even with a nasty gash on her cheek and a broken-but-healing arm, Pam had not lost her sense of snark. 'What are you doing here, fairy princess? Eric's gonna kill me if he finds out you're here in the middle of a fight.'

'Shut up Pam. Where's Scott?'

'Don't know,' the English vampiress groaned out. 'Fucking Weres just came rushing in out of nowhere, as we were running the bar. We didn't even have time to call for help.'

'Fuck,' Sookie cursed again. Taking a hold of Pam's arms, the telepath immediately popped back to Bon Temps then back to Fangtasia in the next second, with Eric's cries to 'Stay, please!' falling on her temporarily deaf ears.

Back at the bar, Sookie's only concern was finding Scott and getting the hell back to her house with him in tow. Conjuring a sword, the fairy in her immediately tensed for a fight as she stood. Sookie was never more thankful for the lessons she'd learned about battle, either from Eric or the ones from her uncle and great grandfather.

'Come at me, you sons of bitches,' she said, a little under her breath. Her wish was granted, as the same Were she'd blasted was now running towards her. She held her sword steady as he charged, before holding it perfectly horizontal in front of her.

The Were didn't even have time to say anything as he impaled himself on the weapon, coating part of it in his viscous blood. Sookie pulled it out, before turning her attention to other opponents.

Pretty soon, she was slicing, slashing or blasting her way through anyone in front of her. Even as she fought, she had brief flashes of conscience, prompting her to momentarily question her rather merciless kills. For her survival's sake, the flashes of conscience didn't really stick.

Seven kills and a gash on her forearm later, she finally caught a glimpse of Scott, lying on the floor near the ladies' room in a pool of his own blood. She didn't think before popping over to him, since two Weres were already advancing on his prone form. Though she successfully killed one, the other kicked her side hard as she focused on neutralizing her earlier opponent.

She wailed for a second as she fell to the ground. The Were quickly punched her jaw, but it was the last thing he was able to do. Sookie didn't know how she did it, but somehow she had managed to copy the Prince, turning her nails into little silver-tipped tools for laceration. As she withdrew her hand from his mangled neck, she attributed her unexpected success to the ferventness of her desire to get back home safe.

'Fucking Weres,' she said, an echo of Pam's earlier statement. She stood, struggling against the pain in her side and walking the two steps over to her Overseer and friend. Kneeling down, she gave his injured legs a once-over.

'Are you alright, Majesty?' he said, his voice hoarse from pain.

'Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go.' In the next moment, they were both at the house in Bon Temps. Sookie had never been more thankful that she was Fae.

_Sookie and Eric's Residence, Bon Temps, Louisiana_

'How dare you do that to me,' Eric said, as soon as Sookie was back in his arms. He growled, noticing the blood dripping from her forearm. 'Are you hurt anywhere else, beloved?'

She shook her head no, clutching his shirt for comfort. She also heard Gregory and Pam's voices, before her ears registered a muted ripping sound. This was shortly followed by Eric's wrist insistently pressed to her lips.

'Drink, dear one,' he said, not letting her go until his wound closed, as did hers. As he pulled his wrist away, he gave her a sound kiss, before drawing her into the comfort of his strong embrace. He also flooded the bond with soothing comfort and love. 'Thank God you're safe. And thank you for saving Pam, as well as Scott.'

'Yes, thank you, Your Majesty,' Scott said. The reverence and adoration in his tone were unmistakable. 'I owe you my safety and survival. I will never forget your kindness.'

'Thank you,' was Pam's simple addition. However, it was her next act which shocked Sookie, Eric and Gregory to boot. The normally snarky, unfeeling vampiress suddenly drew her fairy queen into a hug. 'Thank you for saving me, and for everything else.'

Still shocked, the telepath mumbled out, 'Don't mention it.' This was quickly followed up by, 'Oh God, you need blood.'

'Conjure lots of that True Blood. You know, your version,' Eric said, looking hopefully at his bonded. He breathed a sigh of relief as she complied with his request, making a dozen bottles appear beside her. As soon as Pam and Scott began gulping down the blood, Sookie turned her attention to other matters.

'What now, Eric? Is the Residence even safe to go to?' she said. She wasn't the only one waiting for his answer. Gregory, the fifteen guards in the house and everyone else were also hanging on the Viking's next words.

'I am not really sure, dear one,' he said. 'But I do know that we are more unsafe than ever inside this house. Sookie do you think you can pop all of us there?'

'Well, I think I can, but the first batch has to have Scott in it,' Sookie said. 'Maybe it should be me, Scott, Pam and Gregory. Then I'll come back for you and the guards next.'

Eric shook his head. 'The first batch will be Scott and three guards. The next one should be Gregory and Pam, then three more guards. And then I will feed you more of my blood to keep your strength up for the rest of us.'

'Alright sure,' was all the fairy telepath said, before executing her bonded's plan. As he had prescribed, she took everyone to the New Orleans Royal Residence, before doing a pit stop with Eric's blood and resuming her duties. As evidenced by the multiple gasps of shock, the staff members working in the Residence clearly weren't prepared for the arrival of their group.

_The Royal Residence, New Orleans, Louisiana_

'Oh God,' one of the staff said, before composing herself to greet them more respectfully. 'Your Majesties, I sincerely apologize. We were not aware that you were visiting.'

'No matter. What is your name?' Eric said.

'Samantha Eckhart, Sire. I'm the head of the domestic staff. Please, allow me to see to your comfort. There are rooms already fully furnished here, of course including the master suite.'

Eric turned to Sookie. 'Please go inside, beloved. You, Scott and Pam should rest. Gregory and I will make security arrangements, and then I promise, I will be with you shortly.' The Viking watched her nod, before she and her group walked into the rather long hallway which led from the door to the Residence's formal receiving area.

Once he and Gregory were alone with the guards, everything shifted from the concerns of comfort to the concerns of death. Specifically these concerns included how to cause their enemies the most drawn-out, agonizing deaths known to mankind. Far more than that, his other concern was how to fetch the box he had left at the Bon Temps house.

After all, that box contained some very important things indeed.

A/N There you have it, the fifteenth chapter. Let's hope FFN has no more concerns when I upload the sixteenth one, which has been lying fallow while I freaking resolved the site's technical issues with the moderators. Thanks so much for the patience and remember to leave a review!


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